Pittsburgh’s star pass rusher returned to practice field two weeks after undergoing surgery
PITTSBURGH — The All-Star pass rusher Pittsburgh Steelers, T.J. Wattreturned to training this Wednesday, two weeks after suffering a partial punctured lung during dry needling treatment and undergoing surgery to repair the injury.
T.J. Wattwho was reported as a limited participant, went through individual drills with the defense in his first workout since missing the previous two games.
“It’s great to have him back,” linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “Seeing him back on the field with us is fantastic; he’s getting better every day. Having him back, as the leader of our group, is just great. I’m excited to see how his recovery continues.”
A Christmas Eve gift for the Steelers: TJ Watt is back on the practice field today pic.twitter.com/qDsovP2AEf
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 24, 2025
T.J. Watt He appeared to avoid quarterback pressure moves with the training dummies, which would have required him to raise his arms in explosive movements.
TJ Watt didn’t work on pass rush moves with tackling dummies, and instead did more cardio with DL during that part of individuals pic.twitter.com/20TkBWG0gC
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 24, 2025
“TJ is one of our leaders, so I love having him around,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after Wednesday’s practice. “I’m not sure what his status will be, but his presence alone is good for the team.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that the state T.J. Watt for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, in which the Steelers could secure the AFC North title and a playoff berth, it was still uncertain. However, he added that he believed that T.J. Watt He had recovered from surgery.
“That’s a reasonable estimate, but again, I’ll let him talk about his medical status,” Tomlin said, adding that he believed T.J. Watt would address the issue in the near future. “I think talking about injuries is one thing, but talking about medical issues is another. And that’s one of the reasons why I’ve been a little reluctant to talk about it, in addition to my lack of experience in the matter.”
T.J. Watt He was not the only one to return to training this Wednesday; Teammate Nick Herbig also participated on a limited basis after missing the game against the Detroit Lions with a hamstring injury.
