Steelers Star T.J. Watt Was Hospitalized With a Lung Issue and Might Not Play Sunday

For the past few NFL seasons, T.J. Watt has been one of the most terrifying defensive players in the league. T.J. is at the center of what makes the Pittsburgh Steelers defense so scary, and now, many want to know what T.J.'s current health status is and what's wrong with him.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update on T.J., but also made it clear that there's plenty we still don't know, including what his status might be for Monday's game against the Dolphins. Here's what we do know about T.J.'s health.

Following a practice on Dec. 11, Mike Tomlin spoke with reporters and provided the latest update on T.J.

"I'm a little bit cautious about what I say, because I am not a medical expert," the head coach 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 (doctors) 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 added. "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."

The head coach also added that he wasn't totally sure when the discomfort started or what might have brought it on. "I don't know specifically when it occurred," Mike said. "I know he was in the cafeteria at one point and that's kind of when I got wind of it."

It seems like doctors would like to do more tests on T.J. to determine exactly what the issue might be, and until they do that, we won't know what's going on.

While the news that T.J. is in the hospital is certainly upsetting to many Steelers fans, there's still plenty we don't know. The Steelers' original statement made it clear that T.J. had first been hospitalized on Dec. 10, and because they still don't know exactly what's wrong with him, they're hesitant to make any definitive statements about when he might return to practice.

The potential good news for Steelers fans is that this is not the kind of injury that will definitely sideline T.J. for an extended period. Football players deal with plenty of injuries, but this one is mysterious enough to make T.J.'s timetable return unclear. It's possible he won't miss any games, but it's also possible he'll be out far longer than anyone expects. Until we know more from medical professionals, all we can do is speculate.