"T.J. WATT RULED OUT FOR MNF AFTER SCARY LUNG INJURY: STEELERS 'HOPEFUL' FOR WEEK 16 RETURN AMIDST TEAM'S CRITICAL PLAYOFF STRETCH."

The Pittsburgh Steelers did well to take control of the AFC North division in Week 14, but it didn’t take long for the wind to be taken out of the team’s sails. That’s because star pass rusher T.J. Watt suffered a scary lung injury at the team’s facility last week that resulted in him being hospitalized ahead of the team’s Week 15 action.

Watt was unsurprisingly ruled out for Pittsburgh’s upcoming clash against the Miami Dolphins, but the team is hopeful that he will be able to return at some point later this season. In typical Watt fashion, it seems like he could be back on the field much sooner than expected, as he received a major injury update shortly after being ruled out for the team’s upcoming game.

Steelers Hoping T.J. Watt Can Return to Action in Week 16

Ian Rapoport

@RapSheet

The Insiders on @NFLGameDay Morning with @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero: Inside Philip Rivers’ comeback, as he grabbed cleats out of the trophy case; The latest on De’Von Achane and #Steelers edge TJ Watt’s lung; #Eagles star Lane Johnson is returning sooner, rather than later.

10:39 am · 14 Dec 2025

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The Steelers seemed to be falling apart heading into Week 14, but they got their act together at the perfect time and managed to pull out a 27-22 victory over the Ravens to retake the top spot in the AFC North for the time being. They still have a lot of work left to do, though, as Baltimore is not going to go down without a fight in this divisional battle.

Per usual, Watt seemed set to play a big role for the team as it enters its most pivotal stretch of the season. In 13 games this season, Watt has been his typical dominant self, as he’s racked up 53 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, seven pass deflections, and three fumbles forced. Simply put, he’s remained a one-man wrecking crew up front for Pittsburgh.

Everything was thrown up in the air for Watt when the team announced he had been hospitalized due to a lung injury. And while he is going to miss the team’s upcoming game in Week 15, it sounds like it could end up being the only game he does not suit up in, as the Steelers are reportedly hopeful Watt will be able to play in Week 16.

“The turnaround was just too quick for Watt to play this week; he needed to rest. But the Steelers are hopeful that Watt could potentially miss only one game. He could be back next Sunday against the Lions,” Tom Pelissero said on “The Insiders.”

Steelers Looking to Earn Another Big Win in Week 15

Mike Tomlin

Getty

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Being without Watt, even if only for one game, presents major problems for the Steelers on the defensive side of the ball, so if he could return in Week 16, that would be huge for Pittsburgh. Every game is going to be important for this team from here on out, so the team needs to do whatever it can to win as much as possible.

Before they can begin to worry about Watt’s Week 16 status, the Steelers need to get through their upcoming matchup against the Miami Dolphins. While it’s been a rough season as a whole for the Dolphins, they are on a four-game win streak, so they can’t be completely ignored. With this game set for Monday Night Football, kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.