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Dani Watt, wife of Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt, expressed the emotional toll of the past few days after her husband was hospitalized for a lung issue that necessitated surgery on Thursday.
In an Instagram story update, Dani shared that T.J., the brother of retired NFL defensive end J.J. Watt, is on track to be discharged from the hospital by Friday following a successful surgical procedure.
“On Thursday, T.J. underwent a successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung,” Dani wrote, noting the injury occurred early Wednesday during a dry needling session at the team’s facility.
Dry needling involves inserting thin needles into specific muscle trigger points to stimulate and contract muscles, alleviating pain and enhancing mobility, according to medical experts at the Cleveland Clinic.
“The past few days have been incredibly challenging, but we look forward to T.J. returning home soon to continue his recovery. We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming support, prayers, and love we’ve received. A huge thank you to the remarkable medical teams at both hospitals!”
The 31-year-old Watt, who currently leads the team with seven sacks, will miss the Steelers’ matchup with the Dolphins on Monday night.
The lung injury occurred during treatment at the team facility on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
J.J. corroborated that report in a post on X, saying that T.J.’s recovery timeline is “to be determined.”
It comes after Pittsburgh’s win over their AFC North rival Ravens, 27-22, to secure the top spot in the division.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin addressed Watt’s health after practice on Thursday.
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“I’m a little bit cautious about what I say, because I am not a medical expert,” Tomlin said. “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 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.
“He and I communicated last night, he was comfortable, and that’s all I have really at this point. His status for Monday night is really up in the air. I think what transpires this afternoon is going to provide more information for us. I just don’t have a lot as I stand here today.”
