The Steelers found themselves dealing with an unexpected situation this week when T.J. Watt was taken to a local hospital after experiencing a lung-related issue during a treatment session at the team facility. With little clarity coming from Pittsburgh, former NFL team doctor David J. Chao stepped in to outline what the problem most likely is (and isn’t).

Chao began by eliminating the obvious theories. First off, this wasn’t the result of a rib block gone wrong.

“It doesn’t make sense that TJ Watt would have a punctured lung from the doctor’s rib block. Because you wouldn’t block a guy’s rib on a Wednesday, especially not when the game is on a Monday,” he said.

He also dismissed the idea of an air bubble entering Watt’s system from an IV line.

“Was he sick and getting an IV, and somehow, maybe an air pocket got into his lungs? That doesn’t make sense. If that were the case, it would have been a temporary hospitalisation on Wednesday. Or maybe, the latest Thursday morning. But the latest reports are, he’s still at the hospital. I doubt there’s any sort of trauma,” he added.

Chao then laid out what he believes is the most plausible explanation.

“The most likely situation is a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot that travels from his legs up to his lungs. That would explain the hospitalisation…the additional testing,” he said.

While the Steelers haven’t confirmed any diagnosis, several reports have indicated that Watt’s issue began during a routine treatment session on Wednesday. Chao also made one distinction clear: this situation bears no resemblance to the 2020 incident in which Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung from a pain-killing injection. This is not that.

But whatever the issue is, it doesn’t look like T.J. Watt will be suiting up this week.

Steelers’ defense likely to be without T.J. Watt

If T.J. Watt can’t go on Monday, it would be a massive setback for a Steelers defense that has leaned on him more than ever this season. The timing couldn’t be worse, either. Pittsburgh is coming off its biggest win of the year over the Baltimore Ravens, which pushed them into first place in the AFC North.

Watt has played in all 13 games this season, stacking seven sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception, and 53 tackles. In a year when both sides of the ball have been wildly inconsistent, Watt has been the constant. Losing him would take a defense already stretched thin and make it even more vulnerable.

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The numbers back that up. Per StatMuse, the Steelers are 1–10 all-time when Watt doesn’t suit up. Their scoring defense dips from 20.3 points per game with him on the field to 26.3 without him. You don’t need an advanced metric to understand what that means.

If Watt is sidelined against Miami in a Week 15 matchup loaded with playoff implications, the burden shifts to Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig on the edges, with rookie Jack Sawyer rotating in.

It’s a capable group, but there’s no replacing Watt’s ability to tilt a game on a single snap. Pittsburgh better hope it doesn’t come to that.