It sounds as if the Pittsburgh Steelers have more injuries to worry about besides just QB Kenny Pickett. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this morning that starting TE Pat Freiermuth, who left the game in the third quarter yesterday, will be getting a scan on his injured hamstring. Dulac adds that the injury isn’t just a tweak.
With WR Diontae Johnson out at least one more game with a hamstring injury of his own, soft-tissue injuries continue to hurt the Steelers. DL Cameron Heyward continues to spend time on IR with a groin issue, and it sounds as if Freiermuth is now due to miss some time. If his timeline looks the same as Johnson, who suffered a strain to his hamstring, he would be sidelined for around four weeks, although we still don’t know if that timeline will hold for Johnson.
The good news for the Steelers is they have a bye Week Six, which should allow some extra time for guys to heal and no game to worry about them missing. But as the list of injuries grows, there becomes more and more concern about this team’s chances to compete in 2023.
Freiermuth has just eight receptions for 53 yards and two touchdowns this season as Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled through their first four games. Any injury could also affect the value of the long-term extension that the tight end could possibly be looking at this offseason, but it’s too early to speculate about that without knowing the full severity. But it does sound as if it’s more than just a pull, and Freiermuth is dealing with a strain or a tear.
He was quickly ruled out after leaving the game yesterday, and he was in obvious pain on the field and on the sidelines. If he misses time, the onus will be on rookie TE Darnell Washington and second-year man Connor Heyward to step up. Zach Gentry remains on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad, and if an IR stint is required for Freiermuth, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Steelers bring him back or elevate practice squad tight end Rodney Williams to have another body at the position on the 53-man roster.
