Brooke Pryor and Stephania Bell
Dec 12, 2025, 09:17 PM ET
PITTSBURGH -- Steelers star T.J. Watt, one of the highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL and the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year, suffered a partially collapsed lung during a Wednesday dry needling treatment at the team facility, prompting questions about the events that led to the incident and what will happen next.
J.J. Watt, T.J.'s brother, said in a social media statement Friday that T.J. had surgery Thursday to repair and stabilize his lung and was released from the hospital Friday.
"Yesterday TJ had successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung suffered Wednesday after a dry needling treatment session at the facility," J.J. Watt wrote on social media. "Recovery timeline is still TBD, but all went well and he is being released from the hospital today. He and his family are very appreciative of everyone's kind words and well wishes."
T.J. Watt, 31, will not play in Monday's home prime-time matchup against the Miami Dolphins (8:15 ET, ESPN), Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, as Pittsburgh seeks to bolster its AFC North lead over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers haven't provided many details surrounding the incident. The initial statement released by Pittsburgh spokesperson Burt Lauten on Thursday said Watt went to the hospital for further evaluation of his lung after experiencing "discomfort" at the practice facility Wednesday. After Friday's practice, Tomlin said Watt had a "medical procedure today or yesterday." And when asked if the incident that led to Watt's hospitalization occurred during a dry needling session, as J.J. Watt said, Tomlin continued to be vague.
"I don't have a lot of information, so I'm certainly not going to dispute something that's said by someone close to him," Tomlin said. "I hadn't had discussions along those lines."
The NFL Players Association is aware of the situation and has been in touch with Watt and his representation. "Our main immediate priority is supporting T.J.'s health and full recovery," the NFLPA said in a statement.
Dry needling isn't unusual during an NFL player's physical therapy, but a significant incident like this is uncommon.
Did Watt have an injury before the treatment? What is dry needling? Is Watt's situation similar to then-Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor's situation in 2020, when he suffered a punctured lung? How will Pittsburgh's defense step up as the team chases a divisional title? Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor and ESPN senior writer and injury analyst Stephania Bell break down the biggest questions.
Did Watt have a chest or back injury before the dry needling?
Watt has not been listed on the team practice or injury report this season. Tomlin also said Thursday that, to his knowledge, Watt didn't have an injury that was worthy of being on an injury report or after the Steelers' Week 14 game.
Watt was on the practice report because of a toe injury during the week leading up to the game at Baltimore, and earlier in the season, he was listed on the practice report because of a hip issue leading up to the Week 8 home game against the Green Bay Packers. Dry needling isn't necessarily associated as a treatment for a specific injury, and it can be used to alleviate general muscle tightness, including around the shoulders, and in some cases, the pectoral muscles. -- Pryor
What is dry needling? What is required to legally administer dry needling? How safe is it?
Dry needling is a skilled intervention where the provider uses a thin needle to penetrate the skin with the goal of alleviating pain and improving movement. Unlike "wet" needling, which utilizes a hollow bore needle (which has a central channel to allow liquid to pass through it) to inject a medication, dry needling utilizes a solid needle and no substance is injected.
Common applications for dry needling include, but aren't limited to, muscle pain/strains (e.g., hamstring, quad), tendinitis/tendinopathy (e.g., patellofemoral, biceps, rotator cuff), plantar fasciitis and headaches. Utilization has expanded within the past decade, in particular, and it is not uncommon to see dry needling in most athletic rehabilitation settings or training rooms.
Requirements vary by state as to who may legally perform dry needling. The range of practitioners engaging in dry needling may include physical therapists, athletic trainers, acupuncturists, chiropractors, physicians, physician assistants, nurses and nurse practitioners.
Health care professionals typically undergo post-graduate education specific to dry needling procedures. The requirements vary by state as to requisite hours of training as there is no nationally recognized board that oversees dry needling certification. Programs require completion of didactic and practical elements, and participants must pass written and practical exams that incorporate safety components.
Dr. Sue Falsone, president and founder of Structure and Function Education, is a physical therapist, athletic trainer and certified strength and conditioning specialist who has over 15 years of experience practicing and teaching dry needling. She has treated and consulted with numerous elite athletes, including NFL and MLB players, and says there are numerous safety studies that have been published showing very low risk with dry needling.
"Precautions and patient safety are always a part of any patient intervention," Falsone said, "but as with any modality, there is a chance for an adverse reaction."
Falsone noted that the four most common adverse reactions consistently documented in the scientific literature are relatively benign. They include bleeding (noted as a drop or two of blood at the needle site), localized bruising, pain or residual soreness at the needle site and pain or soreness away from the site.
"Pneumothorax [punctured lung] is reported in the literature as a very rare event," Falsone said. -- Bell
How many other Steelers do dry needling?
It's hard to say how many Steelers players seek dry needling to treat tight muscles and soreness during the season, but former linebacker James Harrison told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler in 2015 that "three to five" other players in the locker room were also doing dry needling.
"It's a more invasive form of needling," Harrison said then. "It can be recovery-based and help to heal any injuries that are nagging. ... It's painful as hell."
Steelers inside linebacker Patrick Queen said Friday that he prefers to use acupuncture over dry needling.
"Kind of two different things," Queen said. "... I don't do the whole dry needle thing. I'm actually scared of dry needling, so I kind of stay away from that stuff.
"It is unfortunate. You could probably get dry needled a thousand times and never have anything happen, and it just probably a half an inch in the wrong direction. So, you never know."
Queen added that he has always been cautious about whom he permits to use needles on him in treatment.
"Obviously, it's needles, then you need 'em in the right spot and stuff, and they could go in the wrong spot at any time," he said. -- Pryor
1:41
T.J. Watt in the hospital for lung evaluation
Ryan Clark and Rich Eisen react to T.J. Watt having his lung evaluated in the hospital after experiencing discomfort at the Steelers' practice facility on Wednesday.
What should be the typical prognosis for Watt? Will there be any long-term effects?
The most critical aspect of Watt's case is that once he reported symptoms and was evaluated, he was sent to the hospital for care emergently and treated promptly by the appropriate personnel. This gives him an excellent chance of full recovery.
Lung tissue is remarkably resilient, especially in a young, healthy athlete. A lung injury like Watt's has the potential to heal within 7-10 days, and there should be no long-term effects. -- Bell
Is this like the Tyrod Taylor situation? What are the differences?
Taylor was reportedly dealing with two cracked ribs and received a pregame pain-relieving injection, the intent of which was to decrease localized pain and allow him to compete on game day. The needle punctured a lung, and the result was a pneumothorax (where air leaks into the space between the lung and the chest wall, putting pressure on or "collapsing" the lung).
In Watt's situation, according to his brother JJ, he suffered a partially collapsed lung (also a pneumothorax) after a dry needling treatment session. By definition, dry needling means no medication was being delivered via the needle, making this different from Taylor's specific procedure.
While we do not have access to the specifics of either player's medical records, it is worth noting that every player's injury severity and recovery experience is unique, even in the presence of the same diagnosis. We do know that Taylor has since gone on to return to football at the NFL level and expect Watt to do the same. -- Bell
0:30
Don't miss Dolphins vs. Steelers on 'Monday Night Football'
Catch the Dolphins and Steelers in Week 15 on "Monday Night Football," starting at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App.
What does Watt's absence mean for the Steelers' defense in their quest to win the AFC North?
There's no firm timeline on Watt's return, and that's a significant hit for a team that has a slim lead over the Ravens for the AFC North and a coveted playoff spot with four games remaining.
The Steelers are 1-11 all time, including the playoffs, when Watt doesn't play. Watt last missed a game in the 2023 playoffs, when he was sidelined because of an MCL sprain for the wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills in January 2024.
This time without Watt, the Steelers will rely on a rotation of Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and rookie Jack Sawyer. Highsmith, who has dealt with injuries throughout this season, sealed the win against the Ravens with a walk-off sack of Lamar Jackson.
"That's a clear representation of who he is, the type of plays he provides, the type of splash he makes, game on the line, he'll go make a play for us," Herbig said of Highsmith. "That's who Alex is. That's who he's been his whole career."
Herbig is also another young player on the rise. The 2023 fourth-round pick recorded two sacks the last time he faced a left-handed quarterback in Cleveland's Dillion Gabriel; Herbig had two tackles for loss and four quarterback hits. Herbig faces Miami's left-handed QB Tua Tagovailoa on Monday.
"T.J.'s done a great job of being a leader, not just in the room, but in the whole building, the organization," Herbig said. "I think he rubs off on a lot of people in the right way, and I'm not worried at all because we have great guys, great leaders that'll pick up that slack, and I think that he's prepared, not just myself, but a bunch of the younger guys in that sense to be able to take on that larger role, not just as a player but as a leader, and bringing that energy and just doing everything that he does." -- Pryor
