The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves dealing with a health scare nobody saw coming. On Thursday, star edge rusher T.J. Watt was hospitalized for a lung injury after receiving treatment at the team facility. His brother, J.J. Watt, took to social media to offer an update, where he noted that Watt's recovery timeline is still to be determined, but all went well, and he's been released from the hospital.
We expected Watt's family and friends to be the first people in his corner with concerns over his health. However, he also received the support of his long-time rival.
Cleveland Browns superstar and fellow Defensive Player of the Year recipient Myles Garrett was asked about Watt in a recent media session. Garrett said he reached out to Watt and that he's praying for the best.
"Since you asked, I reached out to [T.J. Watt]," Garrett said. "I don't have his number or anything, but I reached out to him to see if he's alright. So I'm hoping for the best."
"At the end of the day, our teams may be rivals, and they might create a rivalry between us. But he's not my enemy. I'm hoping for the best for him and his health, and that he can come back soon. Whatever it is... I'm praying for the best for the Watt family."
Myles Garrett reminds Pittsburgh Steelers fans that there are more important things than football
Make no mistake: Myles Garrett is aiming to go down in the history books as a pass rusher in a league of his own—better than T.J. Watt. But even Garrett can put aside this nine-year rivalry between future Hall of Famers to focus on Watt's health and well-being.
That's what's most important right now.
Steelers fans should appreciate this. This fanbase has been as hard on Garrett as anyone over the years—particularly since his physical altercation with Mason Rudolph involving a helmet in November of 2019. However, we can respect the man for pausing to talk about how he wishes nothing but the best for Watt, his 2017 NFL draft classmate.
Thankfully, Watt should be able to make a full recovery, and we hope he will return to the football field this season.
T.J. Watt's health scare should have all football fans joining together in harmony to put aside bitter rivalries and focus on what's really important. Let's pray that he makes a speedy recovery.