After a few days of speculation regarding his health, Pittsburgh Steelers fans now know what is going on with star pass rusher T.J. Watt. According to his brother and CBS broadcaster J.J. Watt, Watt suffered a partially collapsed lung while receiving dry needling treatment on Wednesday.
He had successful surgery on Thursday to correct the issue, and his timeline for recovery is unclear. It seems highly unlikely to play on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins.
With Watt's situation now clear, it raises serious questions for the Steelers' defense both this week and, potentially, moving forward. Losing your $41 million edge rusher in the middle of the most important stretch of the season is obviously not ideal, and the fact that it happened while he was being treated at the facility makes it sting even more.
T.J. Watt's likely absence is a major red flag for Pittsburgh Steelers chances in Week 15
This situation brings back memories of one of the stranger stories from recent NFL history. Back in 2020, Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung while receiving a pain-killing shot from the team's medical staff. That situation was far more concerning than Watt's, as Taylor missed a month and, more importantly, his starting job.
Luckily, Watt seems likely to be back sooner rather than later, but it is still a major blow for the Steelers' chances against the Dolphins. Pittsburgh's run defense has been gashed in back-to-back weeks, even with Watt out there. Without him? Who knows how bad it could get against one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL.
Getting rookie Derrick Harmon back may alleviate some of those concerns, but asking Nick Herbig or Jack Sawyer to replace Watt's impact in the run game is not going to happen. The pass rush may actually be a bit more ferocious with Herbig getting more snaps, but I doubt the Dolphins will give Tua Tagovailoa many drop-backs in sub-freezing conditions.
It also has to be said that the Steelers' track record without Watt in the lineup has been absurdly bad. Pittsburgh is just 1-10 in the regular season when he doesn't play. You would think missing just one defender, even one as elite as Watt has been, wouldn't have such a huge bearing on the outcome of games.
Watt is no longer the same player that Pittsburgh couldn't seem to win without, so winning on MNF is far from impossible. But the Dolphins are surging after a 1-6 start, and their new offensive identity has them primed for an upset bid. Here's hoping the Steelers can gut one out without their highest-paid player.