DK Metcalf is cleared for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game at Tampa Bay after an illness landed him on Friday’s injury report. But Pittsburgh has a fresh concern at tight end, with ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reporting Saturday that Pat Freiermuth is questionable with a calf injury.
Metcalf’s availability is a win. It doesn’t bring back Michael Pittman Jr., who’s on injured reserve, or Roman Wilson (finger) and Ben Skowronek (calf), who are out. Aaron Rodgers still has a pretty short list of wideouts to work with.
Freiermuth’s calf is harder to size up. We don’t know how he hurt it or how serious it is. Calf injuries can hang around for weeks in the NFL, and playing before full strength returns carries a high risk of hurting it again. Lingering weakness could cost a tight end some burst out of breaks or power as a blocker.
Freiermuth has been helping cover for those missing receivers. Losing him would take a bite out of the Steelers’ backup plan, too.
Pat Freiermuth’s status could reshape the Pittsburgh Steelers’ red-zone plan
Freiermuth just caught five passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns against Indianapolis. That gives him four receiving scores through five games. His 17-yard touchdown on third-and-6 pushed a 24-22 fourth-quarter lead to 31-22.
The Colts were paying extra attention to Metcalf on that play. Freiermuth beat his man and gave Rodgers somewhere to go with the ball. Rodgers will need another answer if Tampa Bay rolls coverage Metcalf’s way.
Mike McCarthy already leaned harder on two tight ends after the receiver injuries against Indianapolis. Offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio explained this week that Freiermuth and Darnell Washington let Pittsburgh run passing plays that would otherwise call for three wideouts.
Rookie Germie Bernard’s six catches for 80 yards against the Colts were encouraging. Washington and Robert Tonyan can keep two-tight-end looks in the mix if Freiermuth sits. Pittsburgh still has options, even if the list keeps getting shorter.
Jaylen Warren also had six catches for 87 yards and an 80-yard touchdown in that win. He can help pick up the slack, but every extra assignment makes this offense more dependent on him when he already has plenty to handle as a runner.
Sunday’s inactive list will settle whether Freiermuth dresses. If he plays, he still needs to move well enough to separate and hold up as a blocker. If he sits, McCarthy needs to give Washington and Tonyan real chances to catch the ball, especially in the red zone.
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