T.J. Watt Suffers Partially Collapsed Lung Following Treatment At Steelers Facility

T.J. Watt underwent surgery on Thursday to repair and stabilize a partially collapsed lung after a dry needling treatment session at the Pittsburgh Steelers facility … his brother, J.J., announced on Friday.

Watt shared the news on social media after the team announced he was admitted to the hospital with a health scare. While no recovery timeline is currently available, he is expected to be released from the hospital on Friday.

“He and his family are very appreciative of everyone’s kind words and well wishes,” J.J. said.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport said dry needling is a treatment many players in the league undergo without any complications. It’s used to alleviate general soreness, but after his treatment, he says Watt was left in “extreme pain, and doctors quickly sent him to the hospital.”

It’s a similar scare to the one current New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor had in 2020 when he was with the Los Angeles Chargers. Just before kickoff against the Kansas City Chiefs … a doctor was trying to administer a pain-killing injection to his cracked ribs and accidentally punctured his lung.

Taylor then sued the doctor, alleging medical malpractice … and sought at least $5 million in damages.

The Steelers star pass rusher has yet to address the incident himself, but it’s safe to assume he won’t be suiting up for the team Monday night against the Miami Dolphins. After that, the team has three games remaining on the schedule — plus any additional playoff games if they make the postseason.