The Pittsburgh Steelers had a rough Week 4 showing as the Houston Texans dominated with the outcome being a 30-6 loss for Mike Tomlin's group. The score was bad enough, but the team suffered many injuries in the game as well. Kenny Pickett went down with a knee injury that, thankfully, is not expected to be season-ending. Star tight end, Pat Freiermuth also looked like he was in a lot of pain and exited the contest with a hamstring ailment that could keep him out for some time. It's not looking great for the Steelers number one tight end.
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Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (#88) gets ready to set up at the line of scrimmage during a 2022 matchup against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Freiermuth Dealing With Hamstring Injury That Could Keep Him Out For Some Time
Steelers insider and reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac, delivered some unfortunate news on social meeting on Monday morning. Freiermuth is not dealing with just a simple hamstring tweak.
TE Pat Freiermuth getting injured hamstring scanned today. It’s not just a tweak.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) October 2, 2023
This is troubling news for a Steelers offense that cannot afford to lose any more stars. Pickett will likely miss some time and Diontae Johnson is already on Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury of his own. A long absence from Freiermuth will hurt a unit that is already struggling to get any kind of momentum on the offensive side of the ball.
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Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson (#18) makes a catch at 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Freiermuth only has eight catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. He has not really gotten going, which is pretty much the story of the season for everyone on the Steelers offense. Darnell Washington would step into the top tight end role if Freiermuth is going to be shelved for a significant amount of time. Parting ways with veteran, Zach Gentry is now looking like more and more of a mistake.
Pittsburgh may be down their top wide receiver, tight end and quarterback in a crucial Week 5 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. It will be hard to overcome a rough Baltimore defense without all of the weapons on the field, let alone three of them. Pittsburgh is getting hit with the injury bug hard in 2023 as defensive star, Cameron Heyward is also on Injured Reserve.
We will know more after Freiermuth gets a scan on Monday, as Dulac reported. Hamstring injuries are no joke and tend to linger. It doesn't help that the tight end also has been dealing with a chest injury. He hasn't been his best self on the field and it may be wise to keep him out several weeks so he is able to heal in several different areas.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers' Pat Freiermuth has quietly become one of the best tight ends in football, but three career concussions have caused major room for concern for his long-term future.
Similar to Pickett, Freiermuth has had a concussion history throughout his NFL career. The injuries add to what has been a tumultuous tenure with the Steelers when it comes to ailments that are far from bumps and bruises. Tight end is an extremely hard position at the professional level. A lot is asked of the group and it doesn't help that they are often defenseless when receiving passes in the middle of the field.
Steelers fans now hold their breaths as they await official news on both Pickett and Freiermuth. The offense has no momentum entering Week 5 and losing two more key players is a recipe for disaster going forward. Pittsburgh will have to fight through the adversity as the top spot in the division will be on the line against the Ravens. Excuses won't be made, and several players are going to need to step up.
Are you worried about Freiermuth missing several weeks? What would that do to the Steelers offense? Let us know in the comments below!
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