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T.J. Watt injury update: Mike Tomlin reveals Steelers LB's chances of playing vs. Ravens

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones12/30/25brianjones_93

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has shared an encouraging update on LB T.J. Watt, who had surgery on his lung. During his press conference on Tuesday, Tomlin said he’s “optimistic” about Watt playing on Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

“Although I hadn’t seen T.J. today, optimistic about his potential inclusion in this game,” Mike Tomlin said. “We’ll work him up throughout the course of the week and let the amount of participation and the quality of participation be our guide in terms of whether or not he’s a participant. Certainly, I am more optimistic this week than I have been in previous weeks as I stand here today.”

Earlier this month, T.J. Watt had surgery to repair and stabilize a partially collapsed lung suffered during a dry needling treatment at the Steelers’ facility. The former Wisconsin star returned to practice last week and was a limited participant.

The impact T.J. Watt has on the Steelers

“I’m a little bit cautious about what I say, because I am not a medical expert,” Tomlin said about Watt on Dec. 11. “But to make a long story short, he was experiencing some discomfort when he was at the facility yesterday. So, we took him to the docs (doctors) and they’re going through some procedures. He stayed overnight in the hospital. He has a lung situation that’s being addressed. I think he has some testing and so forth ahead of him this afternoon, and that’s all I know at this juncture.”

Having Watt back in the lineup would be huge for the Steelers, who need to beat the Ravens on Sunday to clinch a spot in the playoffs. The winner of the game would clinch the AFC North and would host a playoff game the following weekend.

Watt was playing well before the surgery. The 31-year-old has registered 53 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one interception, seven passes defended, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 13 games. Watt was recently selected to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time in his career.

The Steelers selected Watt in the first round (No. 30 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. In July of this year, Watt signed a three-year contract extension worth $123 million with $108 million guaranteed.