The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on injured reserve with a foot injury, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowle.r. Pittman will miss at least the team’s next four games, and with the Steelers having a Week 9 bye, the earliest he could return to the field is Week 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pittman battled plantar fasciitis in his foot that caused him to miss the team’s Week 2 game against the New England Patriots. He aggravated the injury during practice last Wednesday, with Mike McCarthy telling reporters that Pittman would miss several weeks with the injury. A decision confirmed by his placement on injured reserve on Saturday.
In the three games he played, Pittman had seven catches for 89 yards. His best game came in the season opener, catching three passes for 58 yards. In Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, he had two catches for 16 yards and posted a similar line in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns – two catches for 15 yards.
Pittsburgh acquired Pittman in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts last March and gave him a lucrative $59 million contract extension.
Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard and Ben Skowronek will see an increase in reps during Pittman’s absence. Wilson enters Week 5 ranked second on the team in receptions (16), yards (188) and tied for the team lead in touchdowns. Bernard has only seven receptions this season, but told reporters he is excited about his new role. Skowronek is a strong blocker who can mirror some of Pittman’s strengths.
Pittman is the second Pittsburgh starter placed on injured reserve this week. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon also landed on injured reserve due to his own foot injury.
Unfortunately, Pittman’s start to his career with the Steelers was disappointing. After missing virtually no time during his long stretch with the Colts, Pittman is now expected to miss at least a month in his first season in Pittsburgh. His production before his injury didn’t inspire much either. The Steelers will look to stay alive in the playoff race and hopefully get Pittman back as soon as they can once they return from the bye week.
Gn sports
