TJ Watt was confirmed to have suffered a collapsed lung on Friday, with the cause of the injury being a treatment at the team’s facility.
Watt’s brother JJ posted on X Friday that TJ Watt underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a partially collapsed lung he suffered a day earlier. Watt suffered the injury after receiving a dry needling treatment session at the team facility.
Yesterday TJ had successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung suffered Wednesday after a dry needling treatment session at the facility.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 12, 2025
Recovery timeline is still TBD, but all went well and he is being released from the hospital today.
He and his…
Dry needling treatment is used to address muscle pain and involves inserting needles to relieve pain and improve blood flow in knotted muscles. A collapsed lung is a possible side effect, but is described by the Cleveland Clinic as an “extremely rare” one.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor infamously suffered a punctured lung when receiving a pain-killing injection from a team doctor while with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020. The doctor, David S. Gazzaniga, remains employed by the Chargers, though Taylor filed a lawsuit against him two years after the incident.
In the short-term, the most relevant fact is that Watt’s status is unclear at best going forward, but he may miss time while the Steelers are in the midst of a playoff push. They currently sit at 7-6 and occupy first place in the AFC North.
Watt has 53 total tackles and 7 sacks in 13 games this season. The former NFL Defensive Player of the Year signed a three-year, $123 million extension with Pittsburgh this past offseason.
