Myles Garrett Sends Message to Steelers' T.J. Watt

Upon learning that Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt was hospitalized with what was later revealed to be a partially collapsed lung that required surgery, Cleveland Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett made sure to reach out to his AFC North counterpart.

“I reached out to him. I don’t have his number or anything, but I reached out to him to see if he’s all right,” Garrett said. “So I’m hoping for the best. At the end of the day, our teams may be rivals and they might create a rivalry between us, but he’s not my enemy. I’m hoping for the best for him and his health and hopefully he comes back soon.”

The two playes have often been compared to one another while somewhat of a rivalry has formed over the years between the fellow 2017 draftees, as Garrett alluded to above, but that didn't stop him from checking in on Watt amidst a scary situation over the past few days.

Nov 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Updates on Watt's Status

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that Watt has already been ruled out of the Steelers' Week 15 game against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium.

His brother and former NFL star, J.J. Watt, also took to social media and provided an in-depth update on T.J., stating that the latter's injury occurred after receiving dry needling treatment at the team's facility this week.

"Yesterday TJ had successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung suffered Wednesday after a dry needling treatment session at the facility," Watt wrote.

"Recovery timeline is still TBD, but all went well and he is being released from the hospital today.

"He and his family are very appreciative of everyone’s kind words and well wishes."

Yesterday TJ had successful surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung suffered Wednesday after a dry needling treatment session at the facility.

Recovery timeline is still TBD, but all went well and he is being released from the hospital today.

He and his…
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 12, 2025

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added that Watt is both expected to make a full recovery and play again for Pittsburgh this season.

"Steelers star TJ Watt is expected to play again this season following surgery on his partially collapsed lung after a dry needling treatment, sources say," Rapoport wrote.

"Sometimes this heals on its own. This didn't, so surgery was necessary. A scary 24 hours. But full recovery expected."

Watt and Garrett's History

Garrett came into the league with higher expectations than Watt as the No. 1 overall pick while the latter was chosen at No. 30 overall. Their stats and accolades largely mirror one another, but the former has slowly started to pull ahead in recent years.

Both players are four-time first-team All-Pros, but Garrett is in line for a fifth nod in that department this season with 20 sacks in 13 games. As a result, he's just 2.5 away from tying Watt and Michael Strahan's shared single-season record of 22.5.

Garrett also infamously won the 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award over Watt despite the fact that the latter finished the season with five more sacks, causing him to skip the NFL Honors ceremony.

The two pass rushers both signed extensions this past offseason as well, with Garrett setting a new NFL record for non-quarterbacks at four years, $160 million before Watt topped his average annual value with a three-year, $123 million pact.

Micah Parsons would eventually beat them both out with a four-year, $188 million deal that he agreed to upon being traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Green Bay Packers in late August.

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