The Steelers get another offensive weapon before an important division game.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth is expected to come off injured reserve before the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Saturday.
Freiermuth initially injured his hamstring in the Steelers’ Week 4 game against the Texans and attempted to be ready for Week 6 after a break from the game.
But Freiermuth’s injury worsened before the game, and the setback was severe enough that Pittsburgh placed him on injured reserve on October 21.
Freiermuth was expected to return to practice earlier this week and had a limited participation in Wednesday’s practice before participating fully on Thursday and Friday.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he had a good feeling about Freiermuth’s availability for this week’s game, and after seeing how the tight end looked during weekly workouts, it appears they’ve decided he doesn’t need any more time to restart. . speed before returning to game action.
Before the injury, Freiermuth had played a less prominent role in the Steelers’ passing attack, racking up eight receptions for 53 yards and a pair of touchdowns in four games.
But he showed the potential to catch a large number of passes from Kenny Pickett, finishing with 732 receiving yards in 2022.
The Steelers hope he can get into that rhythm right away as Pittsburgh faces a formidable Browns defense.
While the Steelers should have Freiermuth back to contribute on offense, Pittsburgh will be missing several key players on defense due to injuries.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who missed the team’s last two games with her own hamstring injury, is out Sunday, as is safety Keanu Neal (rib).
The Steelers and Browns will kick off at 1 p.m. And Sunday.
