Mike Tomlin Remains Tight-Lipped: What’s Really Going on with T.J. Watt?

It’s a curious thing when one of the NFL’s fiercest defensive warriors finds himself sidelined by something as bizarre as lung surgery. T.J. Watt’s recent medical ordeal has left more questions than answers—not least with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who, quite candidly, admits he’s still in the dark about the full story. As the team gears up to face the Lions in Week 16, Tomlin’s updates on Watt’s condition remain frustratingly sparse, revealing little about the linebacker’s path back or the circumstances behind the injury. There’s an odd veil of silence hovering over the situation, especially regarding the dry-needling treatment allegedly linked to the punctured lung. One can’t help but wonder if Tomlin’s keeping a safe distance from the unfolding saga, perhaps wary of the complexities that could soon spiral into organizational headaches. Either way, the mystery persists—and for a team needing its defensive cornerstone, every passing day without clarity only adds to the tension. LEARN MORE

When it comes to the unusual situation that required lung surgery for Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, coach Mike Tomlin didn’t know much last week. And he doesn’t know much this week.

Meeting with reporters on Tuesday, Tomlin addressed Watt’s status while discussing the team’s injury situation in advance of Week 16 at the Detroit Lions.

“I got no new news on T.J.,” Tomlin said. “I’m sure I will a little later in the week, but I hadn’t heard any new updates regarding his availability or what that looks like as he starts to work his way back to us this week. And so no real news there.”

He was later asked if Watt has returned to the facility.

“I don’t know if he’s been in the facility yet, because I’ve been in the dark room in the back,” Tomlin said. “He might be in the facility as we speak, and so I don’t have a lot of the answers to that, and I was just trying to be transparent when I said I didn’t have any new information as I stood here today.”

Tomlin then was asked if he knew anything more about the dry-needling technique that reportedly caused the lung injury, and whether it would or wouldn’t continue within the building.

“I have no new information regarding that,” Tomlin said, “none whatsoever.”

On one hand, Tomlin has a lot of work to do to get ready for the next game, especially on a short week. On the other hand, Watt is one of the most important players on the team, and his injury happened in a very unusual way. Some coaches would want to know everything there is to know about what happened, how it happened, and how something like that can be prevented from happening again.

It’s hard not to wonder whether Tomlin has chosen to keep as far away as he can from something that could become a problem for the organization, once the time comes to get to the bottom of the rabbit hole as to how a hole ended up being punctured into Watt’s lung. If/when it becomes a grievance or a lawsuit or any other mess that requires statements and testimony and other things that would distract Tomlin from his primary job duties, it makes sense for him — if, as it appears, he doesn’t know anything at all — to keep it that way.