Is T.J. Watt Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Ravens vs. Steelers)

The latest injury update for Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt in Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers will get a key piece of their defense back in a must-win Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.

Star pass rusher T.J. Watt, who was dealing with a scary lung injury the past few weeks, is off the injury report and plans to play in Week 18. This is a huge lift for a Steelers defense that is hoping to lead its team to a win -- and an AFC North title -- on Sunday night.

T.J. Watt: "I feel really good. Not sure that I could've said that a week ago. ... I'm excited to play."

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) January 2, 2026

Watt has appeared in 13 games for the Steelers this season, but he has not played since the team's win over Baltimore back on Dec. 7. The eight-time Pro Bowler has 53 tackles, 7.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception in the 2025 season.

While Watt's sack numbers are down compared to normal -- he has least 11.5 sacks in six of his eight previous seasons -- he's still an impact player for this Steelers defense.

Oddsmakers have not changed the line for this game even though Watt is playing, as the Ravens remain road favorites on Sunday night. Early in the week, Baltimore opened up as a three-point favorite in this game, but that quickly shifted to Raves -3.5 with Lamar Jackson expected to make his return on Sunday night.

As of Sunday morning, the Steelers are still 3.5-point underdogs at DraftKings, and they're set at even money (+100) to cover that number.

This game is a win-or-go-home matchup for both teams, as the winner will clinch the AFC North division and the No. 4 seed in the AFC while the loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.

Hopefully for Pittsburgh, Watt's return will help it bounce back from a bad loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 that set up this winner-take-all matchup on Sunday night.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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