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brooke prior
pittsburgh– steelers star pass rusher TJ WattHe returned to practice for the first time on Wednesday after taking two weeks off after sustaining a partially punctured lung during dry needling treatment and subsequent reparative surgery.
Watt, who was listed as a limited participant, went through individual drills with the defense in his first practice after missing the previous two games.
“It’s awesome to have him out there,” the outside linebacker said. alex highsmith Said. “Seeing him back on the field with us, he’s getting better every day, so I think it’s amazing to have him back out there as a leader for our group. Excited to see how he continues to work his way back.”
Christmas Eve gift for the Steelers: TJ Watt is back on the practice field today pic.twitter.com/qDsovP2AEf
– Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) 24 December 2025
It appears that Watt was intentional about not practicing pass rush moves on the tackling dummy that would have required him to raise his arms more to make explosive movements.
TJ Watt did not work on pass rush moves while tackling dummy, and instead did more cardio with the DL during that portion of the individuals. pic.twitter.com/20TkBWG0gC
– Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) 24 December 2025
“TJ is one of our leaders, so I love being with him,” quarterback. aaron rodgers Said after Wednesday’s practice. “Not sure what his status will be, but his presence is good for our team.”
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Watt’s status for Sunday’s game at Cleveland, in which the Steelers could clinch the AFC North title and a playoff berth, is still uncertain. However, he also said that he believed Watt had recovered from the surgery.
Tomlin said, “It’s a fair guess, but again, I’ll let him speak in terms of his healing.” He also said he was confident Watts would address the matter in the near future. “I think it’s one thing for me to talk about the injury. It’s another thing to talk about the healing. And that’s one of the reasons I’m a little hesitant, other than my lack of expertise on the subject.”
Not only did Watt return to practice on Wednesday, but so did fellow pass rusher Nick Herbig He was still practicing as a limited participant after missing the Lions game with a hamstring injury.
