Steelers pass-rusher TJ Watt is expected to miss a few games thanks to a freak injury suffered during a dry needling treatment. Watt had surgery on a partially-collapsed lung, per NFL Insiders and his brother, JJ.
While the Steelers are sure to foot the bill for that surgery, they won't be able to cover a petty fine Watt received courtesy of the league office on Sunday morning.
Why was TJ Watt fined by the NFL?
Watt received a fine for a personal foul call against the Baltimore Ravens which was borderline to begin with. Here is the play in question, in which Watt dove on the pile a bit late.
This is the alleged play that T.J. Watt was fined $11,593 for an unnecessary roughness late hit against the Ravens. 🤣😂 #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/BjTVnwbC5N
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) December 13, 2025
Watt was fined a shade uner $12,000 as a result of this hit. Steelers vs Ravens is arguably the most physical rivalry in the NFL. The league office should police this matchup to the best of their ability, but it's tough to argue Watt did anything wrong in this case. He was merely making a play on the ball.
It's unclear if Watt or his representatives will appeal said fine, but he has far bigger matters to worry about right now, including his own health. Why the NFL felt the need to pile on is beyond me, but the Ravens had plenty to complain about after their loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday.
Did Isaiah Likely catch this? pic.twitter.com/i8DSJVqerm
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) December 7, 2025
Nonetheless, two wrongs don't make a right. Watt is dealing with the real-life circumstances of playing one of the most physical sports in the world. Late hits are often penalized, and thus result in small fines that don't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.
Watt signed a three-year, $123 million extension just last offseason. He'll be fine. The point here isn't the punishment, but the precedent it sets.
NFLPA was already investigating TJ Watt's case – now they have a real reason to cause chaos
The NFLPA was already in contact with Watt regarding his freak incident. It's unclear if the star pass-rusher will threaten legal action for his collapsed lung which occurred at the team facility, but it wouldn't be the first time a player sued a team physician.
Again, it's unfair to compare Watt's situation to, say, Tyrod Taylor's. Every medical emergency is different. Taylor suffered a punctured lung while a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. He used the court system to his advantage. Litigation is, in theory, a possibility for Watt if he believes he was treated poorly by a team employee in an attempt to play through injury.
More importantly from the league's perspective, though, is why they'd even consider poking the bear in this case. Watt is a far more notable player than Taylor ever was. If he were to blame a team physician for his injury, it'd be an even bigger story than Taylor's case, and could sew distrust between players and team physicians, which is a critical relationship in the course of any season.
Where does TJ Watt go from here?
The hope for Watt is that he's able to play again this season. There is no timetable for his return as of this writing, but he will certainly not play in the Steelers Monday Night Football tilt against the Miami Dolphins. Here's what his brother, JJ, said after TJ's successful surgery earlier this week.
"Yesterday TJ had successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung suffered Wednesday after a dry needling treatment session at the facility. Recovery timeline is still TBD, but all went well and he is being released from the hospital today," JJ Watt wrote on X. "He and his family are very appreciative of everyone’s kind words and well wishes."
For now, the Steelers and Watt are just relieved he is okay. The same can be said for the fanbase, which was earnestly worried about Watt's safety earlier this week. Unfortunately, Roger Goodell and his cronies are far more concerned about a questionable hit in Week 14. It could come back to haunt them.