PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has a chance return to practice this week, head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday, though Tomlin was not definitive on that projection, saying he's "hopeful" that Watt will be able to get back to work.
Watt has been sidelined since suffering a partially collapsed lung on Dec. 10. Watt's injury reportedly followed him undergoing a dry needling procedure at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex after a workout on a players' off day. He was quickly hospitalized and had a procedure to correct the injury.
Watt missed each of the Steelers' last two games, and has yet to practice, though he was at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex late last week and was in attendance for Friday's final session last week.
Tomlin said on Tuesday that he is largely recovered from the procedure, and now his readiness will be about his ability to get back into game shape after the lung injury.
"I think that's a fair estimation, but again, I'll let him speak in terms of his medical," Tomlin said. "I think for me, to talk about injury is one thing, to talk about medical is something else. So that's one of the reasons why I've been a little bit hesitant besides my lack of expertise on the subject matter. … I'm sure he's been in the building, but I'll gain further information about his potential participation at the early portions of the week and where that might lead."
| Player |
Roster |
Injury |
WED |
THU |
FRI |
Status |
| OL Spencer Anderson |
Active |
Undisclosed |
PROB |
|||
| Active |
Undisclosed |
PROB |
||||
| Active |
Groin |
QUES |
||||
| Active |
Hamstring |
QUES |
||||
| Active |
Triceps |
QUES |
||||
| OLB Nick Herbig |
Active |
Hamstring |
||||
| Active |
Lung |
QUES |
||||
| Active |
Calf |
QUES |
||||
| IR (Playoffs) |
Right knee |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR |
|
| LT Broderick Jones |
IR (Week 17) |
Neck |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR |
| IR (Week 13) |
Hyperextended right knee |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR |
|
| IR (Week 8) |
Right high ankle sprain |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR |
|
| IR (Week 7) |
Hamstring |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR |
|
| CB Donte Kent |
IR (Season) |
Right ankle/knee |
LP |
DNP |
IR |
IR-SEASON |
| CB Cory Trice |
IR (Season) |
Hamstring, Knee |
DNP |
IR |
IR |
IR-SEASON |
| DT Daniel Ekuale |
IR (Season) |
Left ACL tear |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR-SEASON |
| IR (Season) |
Knee |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR-SEASON |
|
| IR (Season) |
ACL sprain |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR-SEASON |
|
| DT Dean Lowry |
IR (Season) |
Knee |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR-SEASON |
| IR (Season) |
Achilles |
IR |
IR |
IR |
IR-SEASON |
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers OLB T.J. Watt Progressing in Return from Lung Injury
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