What Happened to Michael Pittman Jr. and When Will He Return? Latest on Steelers WR’s Injury and Why He’s Out for Week 7 vs. Saints in Paris
· Yahoo Sports
Michael Pittman Jr.’s first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers has been disrupted by a foot injury that continues to keep him off the field.
The Steelers will face the New Orleans Saints in Paris without the veteran receiver, who is guaranteed to miss the Week 7 matchup after being placed on injured reserve. His earliest possible return comes after Pittsburgh’s bye week, leaving Aaron Rodgers and the other receivers to handle another game without him.
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What Happened to Michael Pittman Jr.?
Pittman aggravated a foot injury while preparing for Pittsburgh’s Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts. The issue had already forced him to miss the Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots, and the latest setback put his availability for the next several weeks in doubt.
Head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Pittman was dealing with the same foot injury on Oct. 8.
“It’s the same foot, so it’s going to be a multiple-week injury,”McCarthy said.
Pittsburgh placed Pittman on injured reserve on Oct. 10, ahead of the Colts game. The move required him to miss at least four games, ruling him out for the trip to Paris and delaying his return until after the team’s bye. It also denied him a chance to face the team where he spent his first six NFL seasons.
Pittman had managed to play through the injury for a stretch. After sitting out against New England, he returned for the next two games, but the foot issue eventually flared up again.
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The 29-year-old had seven receptions for 89 yards across three starts before landing on injured reserve.
Pittsburgh acquired Pittman from Indianapolis during the offseason and signed him to a new three-year contract.
When Will Pittman Return?
Pittman’s earliest possible return is Week 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 15. He must miss Pittsburgh’s games against Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, and Cleveland to meet the minimum four-game requirement.
The Steelers then have their Week 9 bye before facing Cincinnati. However, that date marks when Pittman becomes eligible to return, not a confirmed comeback. He still needs to recover sufficiently to resume playing, and McCarthy’s description of a multiple-week injury leaves the timeline uncertain.
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Pittman had already returned from the injury once before aggravating it again, making his recovery especially important.
In the meantime, Pittsburgh’s receiving corps is short on options. Roman Wilson is also on injured reserve, while Ben Skowronek was ruled out against New Orleans. That has created a bigger role for rookie Germie Bernard, who made his first NFL start against Indianapolis and caught six passes for 80 yards.
The Steelers have also elevated receivers Brandon Johnson and Brandon Smith from the practice squad for the Saints matchup.
Metcalf remains another key target for Rodgers. Entering Week 7, he ranks No. 44 in the league with a PFN WR Impact Score of 73.6, totaling 30 receptions for 318 yards and one touchdown through six games.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.