The Pittsburgh Steelers have the inside track to the AFC North title this year, but the team may be without its top defensive player moving forward.
Pittsburgh announced that T.J. Watt was hospitalized on Thursday, forcing him to miss practice ahead of the team’s game this week against the Miami Dolphins. Watt has played in every game this season, and his absence would be a major blow to the Steelers’ defense.
It’s still early in Watt’s medical evaluation, but the injury was serious enough that he had to leave the facility entirely to receive treatment at a hospital. Here’s the latest on Watt.
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Why was T.J. Watt hospitalized?
On Thursday, the Steelers announced that Watt was evaluated at a hospital overnight after experiencing lung discomfort in Pittsburgh the day before. As a result, he will not practice on Thursday, and his status for Monday night’s game against the Dolphins is “in question.”
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T.J. Watt "lung discomfort" updates
As of the Steelers' practice on Thursday, Watt was in the hospital to get treatment for his lung discomfort. According to Adam Schefter, the injury occurred during treatment at the team facility in Wednesday.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told the media that Watt was hospitalized over night from Wednesday to Thursday. Since Pittsburgh wasn't practicing on Wednesday with an extra day to prepare for their Monday game, the Steelers didn't announce the injury until Thursday.
Update on #Steelers LB T.J. Watt: pic.twitter.com/ngNBnwhBAK
— Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) December 11, 2025
Is T.J. Watt playing this week?
Watt didn't participate in the Steelers' practice on Thursday, but it's still too early to tell if he will play on Monday night against the Dolphins. Pittsburgh announced Watt's status as "in question" for the game, as the team will likely evaluate Watt as the week goes along.
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How old is T.J. Watt?
T.J. Watt turned 31 in October, but he has been fairly durable throughout his career. He has played at least 15 games in every season except one prior to this year and has not missed a game since tearing a pec muscle in 2022.