Michael Pittman (leg) leaves early on Saturday

Pittman was limited yesterday, before no-showing during the portion of practice open to the media today. Typically, that series of events suggests the player suffered an injury during practice. He should be considered questionable to play in Week 2 against the Patriots at this point. Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth could end up being the biggest beneficiary, potentially operating as the team’s No. 2 target earner if Pittman cannot play.

This is a new injury for the Steelers’ leading receiver. Typically, limited sessions on Wednesday are nothing to worry about, but since it is a new injury and we do not know when it happened, checking in on his Thursday status will be worthwhile. If Pittman is unable to play, it would negatively impact QB Aaron Rodgers’ outlook.

Those 58 yards made him the team’s leader in receiving. As we’ve come to expect from Pittman Jr., the majority of his work was done in the intermediate areas of the field, but that’s where Aaron Rodgers loves to throw the ball these days. Pittman Jr. ran a route on 42 of the team’s 46 dropbacks and has a large role in the offense. He remains just a FLEX option due to the low ceiling of Pittsburgh’s offense overall.

This was always though to be the case, with the team’s decision to keep only six receivers through cuts Sunday seemingly backing that notion up. Pryor adds that the teams is expected to “ease in” both Metcalf and Pittman, but it certainly sounds as if each receiver will be on the field in less than two weeks for Week 1.

Pittman and fellow receiver DK Metcalf both returned to practice on Monday after being sidelined since August 8th due to undisclosed injuries. Both players expect to be ready to go for Week 1’s game against the Falcons in a few weeks, and Monday’s return suggests they’re will on track to playing when the games officially count.

Pittman has been sidelined for a week and a half. According to Penn Live’s Nick Farabaugh, Pittman is only dealing with a minor hamstring strain, though. The veteran wide receiver currently profiles as a borderline WR3/FLEX this year, playing for a new team for the first time in his career.

Both receivers are set to miss the Steelers’ upcoming preseason game against the Jets with undisclosed injuries. Without both starting wide receivers, you can expect Aaron Rodgers to sit out as well. Without much practice time remaining, the next time we see the Steelers’ starting offense very well may be in the regular season.

Pittman exited Saturday’s practice with an apparent leg injury and was not on the field for Monday’s session. Speaking with the media, head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed Pittman was injured on Saturday but didn’t discuss how long he may be out. For now, we’ll assume this is something minor, but hopefully we’ll have more details to provide soon.

This of course assumes Rodgers, 42, will return for another season under center for the Steelers, now coached by Rodgers’ former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy. The Steelers acquired Pittman from the Colts on Monday. Rodgers, DeFabo said, “seems to prefer veterans who understand the nuances of route running, how to read coverages and what it takes to prepare for an opponent. Pittman, a solid possession receiver who slots in as a No. 2 behind [DK] Metcalf, checks a lot of those boxes.” Pittman, entering his age-29 season, last season had a career low yards after the catch per reception, reeling in 80 balls on 110 targets as Alec Pierce emerged as Indy’s No. 1 wideout. If the Steelers offense is pass heavy enough Pittman could hold some value in deeper PPR formats in 2026.

Aaron Rodgers’ new No. 2 receiver figures to fit in well in Mike McCarthy’s West Coast system. Because we’re expecting the Steelers to throw less in 2026 than the Colts did, Pittman Jr. probably profiles best as a WR4 going forward. It’s still a huge upgrade for the Steelers on a position where they were desperately trying to find bodies that Rodgers approved of towards the end of 2025. Adam Schefter reports the Steelers will sign Pittman Jr. to a three-year, $59 million extension as part of the trade. The $24 million cap savings for the Colts are the main benefit — it also helps solidify Alec Pierce as the team’s No. 1 receiver and elevates Josh Downs into a bigger role in 2026.