PITTSBURGH — T.J. Watt returned to practice for the Steelers on Christmas Eve, two weeks from the day he sustained a collapsed lung while receiving treatment at the team facility.

Watt was listed as a limited participant Wednesday, and he was with the other outside linebackers and defensive linemen for their individual position drills at the start of practice. That doesn’t necessarily mean he was working in team periods in any capacity, which would set the stage for him to return to the lineup in Sunday’s road game against the Cleveland Browns.

Steelers veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said it was good to have his fellow captain back in the building starting last week. Heyward noted that there’s plenty of tips Watt can impart on younger players even when he’s not suiting up for a game himself, which is sometimes overlooked from the outside.

“He provides a lot of knowledge,” Heyward said. “Something not a lot of people talk about is T.J. is a student of the game. When you share stuff with the outside linebackers group, it just heightens our awareness.”

Watt has missed the past two games and was not on the Steelers’ sideline for either one. But he was moving around as he normally would Wednesday during the portion of practice open for media to take photos and videos.

With the Steelers one win or a Ravens loss away from clinching the AFC North, and potentially locked into the No. 4 seed in the conference after that, they can likely be patient with Watt’s return to the field full-time. He has not spoken with reporters since that dry needling incident, but that could come Friday, his usual day to take questions.

“T.J. is one of our leaders, so I love having him around,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “Not sure what his status is gonna be, but just his presence, it’s good for our team.”

Coach Mike Tomlin has been relatively mum on Watt’s recovery process, drawing a distinction between a typical injury prognosis for football activity and the scary medical situation that sent the team’s highest-paid player to a local hospital.

Heyward, who made his comments before practice, also prioritized Watt’s overall health before any discussion pertaining to his availability for the defense.

“That’s the most important thing,” Heyward said. “When we get him back, we get him back.”

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