It appears the Pittsburgh Steelers will be without wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for at least four games.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday afternoon the Steelers plan to place Pittman on injured reserve. On IR, the wideout will be required to miss at least four contests.
“The Steelers are placing WR Michael Pittman (foot) on short-term IR, per sources,” wrote Fowler on X.
The move doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The Steelers faced the decision of whether or not to place Pittman on IR this weekend after the team ruled out the receiver for Week 5. On Thursday, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Pittman has a “multiple-week injury” in his foot.
Pittman missed time during training camp because of an undisclosed injury. In Week 2, Pittman sat out against the New England Patriots because of a foot ailment.
In Weeks 3 and 4 after returning, Pittman struggled to generate any separation against man-to-man coverage.
Pittman has posted seven catches for 89 yards in three games this season. He has 31 receiving yards on four catches since Week 1.
The Steelers will host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at 1 pm ET.
Steelers to Place Michael Pittman Jr. on Injured Reserve
Not playing in Week 5 means Pittman won’t get the opportunity to face his former team, the Colts. Over six seasons in Indianapolis, he had 485 catches, 5,256 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns.
But the receiver now has bigger worries than a failed opportunity at a revenge game. Pittman will be out until at least Week 10. After the Colts, the Steelers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. Then, they will have a bye week.
With the bye and because the Steelers played on Thursday in Week 4, Pittman will have a month and a half between games. Hopefully for the veteran, that’s enough time to heal because the Steelers could really use more production at WR2.
The Steelers acquired Pittman from the Colts in March to be a starter opposite D.K. Metcalf. Pittman appeared to be an ideal match for Metcalf’s downfield, big-play capability.
But outside of a couple nice routes and catches in the season opener, Pittman hasn’t made an impact. The Steelers will now have to navigate at least the rest of the first half without him. There’s also no guarantee the veteran will be ready in the middle of November.
Germie Bernard, Roman Wilson to Replace Pittman
Against the Patriots in Week 2, Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard received more playing time without Pittman. Wilson was also significantly involved in the season opener when Pittman played, but Bernard has gotten a lot more snaps since the second game.
The Steelers will likely turn to each of those young wideouts without Pittman for the next several games. Bernard addressed the situation in front of reporters this week.
“It sucks for Mike to have to deal with this,” Bernard told the media Thursday, via DK Pittsburgh Sports. “But like I told him yesterday, I texted him, I sent him a scripture and told him, ‘I’m praying for him.’ He has a brother than’s supporting him in whatever he’s going through.”
The Steelers selected Bernard in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Wilson was a third-rounder two years ago in the 2024 draft.
Bernard has seven catches for 60 yards in four games this season. He had 35 of those yards when Pittman didn’t play during Week 2.
Wilson has hauled in a touchdown each of the past two contests. He has already set career-highs with 14 receptions and 188 receiving yards this season.
Steelers to Make Roster Move With Injured Michael Pittman Jr.: Report