The Pittsburgh Steelers got quite the injury scare this week. Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt was sent to the hospital due to lung discomfort on Wednesday. Mike Tomlin gave a limited update on Thursday, but now NFL insiders have more details on the situation.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport gave a brief update on Watt's status following Thursday Night Football.
“I spoke to Alex Highsmith, his teammate, for an interview that's going to air on Insiders [on Friday],” Rapoport said on TNF Nightcap. “He said he spoke to T.J. Watt, that he is doing better [and] thinks he's going to be okay.”
Rapoport added that Watt's status is unknown ahead of Monday Night Football against the Dolphins. But it sounds like the odds are stacked against Watt to play in that game.
“Status still up in the air for Monday night,” Rapoport added. “Hard to imagine honestly anyone playing in a game just after spending that much time in a hospital. But it is T.J. Watt. So we will remain open to him, potentially, playing in a big one on Monday night.”
Tom Pelissero added further details on Good Morning Football on Friday.
He explained that Watt came into the team facility on his off day (Wednesday) for a weight lifting session. Watt was still experiencing pain after his workout, so the team decided to get him checked out.
“Initially they thought it could be a collarbone issue…they ruled that out,” Pelissero said. “They then sent him for X-rays on his rib, those came back negative.”
Pelissero added that further testing showed that Watt has a tiny hole in his lung. That's when he was sent to the hospital.
Watt's lung issue has reportedly been fixed and is not expected to be a long-term issue. But it seems unlikely that he will have enough time to rest before Monday Night Football.
“The issue is fixed, what he needs now is rest,” Pelissero concluded. “That's where, while you never rule out a guy like T.J. Watt, it does seem unlikely that he's going to be available on Monday night.”
Steelers vs. Dolphins kicks off at 8:15PM ET on Monday.
