Steelers Linebacker T.J. Watt Hospitalized Overnight Due to Lung 'Discomfort' During Practice

NEED TO KNOW

• Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is in the hospital after experiencing lung discomfort at the team's practice facility on Wednesday
• A team spokesperson said the youngest Watt brother is "currently in a local hospital for further medical evaluation"
• The Steelers spokesperson said Thursday the team will provide an update on Watt's condition when the time is "appropriate"

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt stayed overnight at a local hospital after experiencing discomfort in his lungs at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the team said in a statement on Thursday, Dec. 11 that Watt, 31, is currently undergoing further evaluation at a local hospital after bringing the issue to the Steelers’ medical staff at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday. Watt did not practice Thursday, according to reports from ESPN, NBC Sports, and UPI.

“T.J. Watt is currently in a local hospital for further medical evaluation of his lung after experiencing discomfort at the practice facility,” Steelers spokesperson Ben Lauten says in a news release Thursday.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in his own statement that Watt did not practice with the team on Thursday while dealing with "a lung situation that's being addressed." The coach said Watt was expected to undergo further testing at the hospital on Thursday.

"I'm a little bit cautious about what I say, because I am not a medical expert," Tomlin said after the team's practice. "But to make a long story short, he was experiencing some discomfort when he was at the facility yesterday. So, we took him to the [doctors] and they're going through some procedures. He stayed overnight in the hospital."

Watt’s status for the Steelers’ game on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins is currently unknown, Tomlin told reporters.

"He and I communicated last night, he was comfortable, and that's all I have really at this point," Tomlin said. "His status for Monday night is really up in the air. I think what transpires this afternoon is going to provide more information for us. I just don't have a lot as I stand here today."

Tomlin said he didn't know "specifically when" Watt's lung issue began, but said the linebacker "was in the cafeteria at one point and that's kind of when I got wind of it."

A former Defensive Player of the Year and four-time All-Pro linebacker, Watt has played for the Steelers since the team drafted him No. 30 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Wisconsin native is one of three Watt brothers to play in the NFL, including older brother Derek Watt, and their oldest brother, three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J. J. Watt.

Wednesday’s hospitalization comes exactly nine months after T.J. and his wife Dani welcomed their first child, daughter Blakely Marie Watt, on March 10. The couple, who married in July 2022, made the announcement on Instagram after months of excited social media posts leading up to their baby’s arrival.

Months later, the Steelers linebacker signed a a three-year, $123 million contract extension with the team in July. So far this season, T.J. has seven sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception as the centerpiece of a highly anticipated Pittsburgh defensive core. 

The Steelers are currently in first place in the AFC North division with a 7-6 record, led by T.J. on defense and quarterback Aaron Rodgers on offense.

Lauten, the team's spokesperson, said Thursday that the organization will provide an update on Watt's health when the time is "appropriate."

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