Steelers' T.J. Watt had surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung, brother says

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt underwent surgery Thursday to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung, his brother and former NFL star J.J. Watt said in a post on X.

T.J. Watt was hospitalized after experiencing discomfort at Wednesday’s practice, the team had said in a statement.

His brother said he suffered a partially collapsed lung following a dry needling treatment session.

"Recovery timeline is still TBD, but all went well and he is being released from the hospital today," J.J. Watt said. "He and his family are very appreciative of everyone’s kind words and well wishes."

Dry needling is a technique that uses thin needles inserted into the skin to help manage pain and movement issues, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It is generally considered safe. Serious side effects, which are extremely rare, include a collapsed lung if the needling was performed in the thoracic area, according to the Cleveland Clinic.