Steelers star LB T.J. Watt hospitalized with lung issue

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Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt was undergoing a medical evaluation at a local hospital after experiencing lung discomfort at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday.

The Steelers announced the news early Thursday afternoon, and head coach Mike Tomlin did his best to address the situation after practice.

“I’m a little bit cautious about what I say, because I am not a medical expert,” Tomlin said. “But to make a long story short, he was experiencing some discomfort when he was at the facility (Wednesday). So, we took him to the docs and they’re going through some procedures. He stayed overnight in the hospital.

“He has a lung situation that’s being addressed. I think he has some testing and so forth ahead of him this afternoon, and that’s all I know at this juncture.”

As for Watt’s availability for the Steelers (7-6) in Monday’s game against the visiting Miami Dolphins (6-7), Tomlin said it has not been determined.

“I think what transpires this afternoon is going to provide more information for us,” Tomlin said. “I just don’t have a lot as I stand here today.”

Signed to a three-year, $123 million contract with $108 million guaranteed in July, Watt has recorded seven sacks and 53 tackles in 13 games (all starts) this season. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection has not missed a game since the 2022 season.

Watt, 31, has 115 career sacks in 134 games (all starts) since being selected by Pittsburgh with the 30th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 when he had a career-high 22.5 sacks to match the official league record (since 1982) held by Michael Strahan and has been a first-team All-Pro four times.

–Field Level Media