Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — When the Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in dramatic fashion over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, linebacker T.J. Watt wasn’t trying to hang around.
Watt won the division for the third time in his career, collected his divisional champs hat and t-shirt, and was ready to get out of the locker room as soon as possible for his post-game press conference.
“Cigar smoke everywhere, man,” he said. “I was trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.”
His teammates probably understood. The Steelers’ star linebacker played his first game back on Sunday night, just 25 games after suffering a partially collapsed lung during a “freak accident” while undergoing treatment at the team’s facility
Watt had emergency surgery, but missed just three games before returning against the Ravens. He made a huge impact in the game, intercepting a Lamar Jackson pass that gave the Steelers a critical three points.
WELCOME BACK @_TJWatt‼️
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/szceXBjRdr pic.twitter.com/TXYvf5SjT4
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 5, 2026
He started — running out to his usual jump-kick celebration in pre-game warmups — and played something approaching his normal amount of snaps at left outside linebacker.
Huge roar from the Acrisure Stadium crowd as #Steelers OLB T.J. Watt is introduced as part of the starting lineup against the #Ravens, 25 days after suffering a partially collapsed lung. pic.twitter.com/2C6KdlG1vS
— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) January 5, 2026
After the game, Watt said he felt fine — a great sign for a team that earned itself another game with the victory.
“Feel really good,” he said. “See how I feel the next couple days. They say we’re playing Monday, so we get an extra day. Honestly I’m really pleased with how I felt. Hats off to the training staff, strength staff for getting me ready to go. Felt great out there tonight.”
Watt said the recovery process from the lung injury was unlike what he’s done before with knee or pec injuries. He had been cleared for contact, and the limiting factor was more about how much the injury had degraded his ability to go full bore for 60 minutes.
“I knew I was going to play I knew I was going to be able play to the best of my ability, as fast as I possibly could. Honestly my legs just felt really fresh, so that was exciting,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: T.J. Watt Feels Great after Playing Big Role in Steelers Win over Ravens
