First Call: J.J. Watt updates his brother's recovery; Steelers look for OLB depth

Thursday’s “First Call” has J.J. Watt’s latest comments on his brother’s health. The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to bolster the ranks at outside linebacker while T.J. Watt recovers from his lung ailment.

The Penguins hit the road in hopes of getting off their six-game losing streak. And there are some postseason honors for a Duquesne standout on the football field.

A word from Watt

Former NFL star J.J. Watt was on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday and provided a brief update on his brother’s recovery from a partially collapsed lung. T.J. Watt suffered the mishap during a dry needling treatment last week in advance of the team’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

“He is working through it,” Watt said of his brother. “It’s obviously not somewhere that he expected or would like to be. But just handling the situation day by day and making sure to find the appropriate and proper steps to get back to where he would like to be.”

Watt said the dry needling treatment is not something that is normally associated with risks such as a lung injury.

“I would say unexpected is the appropriate word,” he said. “Dry needling is incredibly common. Most anybody who’s been in the league has probably done it at some point. I would say he was certainly not anticipating being in the hospital and getting lung surgery last week.”

JJ Watt on TJ Watt

"TJ is working thru it and he's handling the situation day by day..

When will the Steelers get him back? ????

Per @PatMcAfeeShow

pic.twitter.com/mNaOJforKc

— Portersburgh (@PortersBurgh) December 17, 2025

From a team perspective, Mike Tomlin provided no details as to what happened to Watt during his weekly Tuesday news conference. No one else in the front office is commenting.

J.J. Watt has been the lone on-the-record source with anything resembling details as to what happened with his brother. He sent out a social media post updating Watt’s situation last week.

The CBS commentator hasn’t said anything absolving the Steelers from blame or responsibility. Yet he has also avoided pointing the finger in any specific direction.

Moon over Pittsburgh

With ranks thin at outside linebacker, the Steelers are reportedly bringing back a familiar face to add depth at the position.

According to CBS Sports, the franchise is signing Jeremiah Moon off of the Carolina practice squad. He was part of 13 games for the Steelers in 2024.

The #Steelers are set to sign linebacker Jeremiah Moon off of the #Panthers practice squad, sources tell @CBSSports.

Before making the move to Carolina, Moon spent time with both Pittsburgh and the Ravens. Played in 13 games for the Steelers last year. pic.twitter.com/YG6MeOanFW

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 18, 2025

With both Watt and Nick Herbig in doubt for Sunday’s game in Detroit, the Steelers may have to get some bodies ready to back up Jack Sawyer and Alex Highsmith outside.

They also worked out four potential linebackers in Ronnie Perkins, Isaiah Thomas, Casey Toohill and Oshane Ximines.

#Steelers worked out Ronnie Perkins, Isaiah Thomas, Casey Too Hill, Oshane Ximines

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 17, 2025

Watt (lung) and Herbig (hamstring) were both DNPs on Wednesday’s practice report.

Get ’ahtta tahn

Perhaps no team in the history of hockey needs a road trip as badly as the Penguins do. They just dropped all five games during a homestand at PPG Paints Arena. No team in Pens history has gone winless during a five-game homestand before this one.

The Pens, now losers of six in a row overall, try to get back on the winning track against the Senators in Ottawa on Thursday night. Sidney Crosby is just two points away from passing Mario Lemieux for the franchise’s all-time points lead.

With their recent slide, the Penguins have fallen out of a playoff spot with 37 points. That’s two points shy of a wild card slot. Ottawa has only 34. The Buffalo Sabres are the only club in the Eastern Conference with fewer points at 32.

The Senators haven’t been good at home. They just have six home wins. The New York Rangers are the only team with fewer home victories. They have four.

The Sens have lost four of six overall. They topped three goals just once in that stretch.

Faceoff is at 7 p.m. The Penguins then head to Montreal on Saturday night before hosting the Canadiens in a return game Sunday.

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Postseason props

Duquesne’s Joey Isabella has been named an FCS All-America Honorable Mention according to the Associated Press.

The grad student wide receiver finished the regular season tied for first nationally in the FCS with 13 receiving touchdowns. He also set career highs in receptions (63) and receiving yards (839).

The Mayfield, Ohio, native led the NEC in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Those 13 scores were at least seven more than any other NEC receiver.

71-YARD TOUCHDOWN JOEY ISABELLA!@Tyler2Riddell ➡️ @joeyisabella1 pic.twitter.com/RKDFf1GPaE

— Duquesne Football (@DuqFB) November 22, 2025

Isabella was a 2025 Walter Payton Award finalist for FCS National Offensive Player of the Year. He scored in nine of 12 games and posted three 100-yard performances.

Isabella is the 12th AP All-America honoree in program history and the first since 2018 (A.J. Hines). He is also the first Duquesne football All-American from any publication since Jake Dixon, who earned second-team AFCA All-America honors during the spring 2021 season.