Steelers news: Pat Freiermuth injury update, roster moves at tight end, and more

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been dealing with one thing after another early in the 2023 season. Following their Week 1 loss, two of their best players -- Diontae Johnson and Cameron Heyward -- both landed on IR with soft tissue injuries. After a scare in Week 4, we learned that Kenny Pickett is dealing with a bone bruise and strained knee, but could practice and return to the field soon.

Now, as Pittsburgh prepares for an all-important game against the Baltimore Ravens, we have an injury update on Pat Freiermuth as well as a few roster moves. Here's the latest Steelers news.

Steelers news:

On Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth is listed as week-to-week with a hamstring injury that he suffered in the second half of the game against the Texans in Week 4. Just like we saw for Diontae Johnson, these hamstring injuries can be tricky, and returning to the field too quickly could cause a setback.

Freiermuth has been having the worst season of his NFL career through the first four games of 2023. The third-year tight end and former second-round pick already has a pair of touchdowns, but he has earned just 53 yards on 13 targets through nearly a quarter of the season.

This injury comes at a very inopportune time, as Freiermuth was previously on track to earn a sizeable payday during the 2024 offseason with a new contract extension. Now this hamstring injury is the latest setback for a player who really needed to step up his game. We will keep a watchful eye on the injury report, but signs are pointing to Freiermuth missing some time.

More Steelers news:

Because of Freiermuth's hamstring injury that could linger on for weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers have promoted TE Rodney Williams from their practice squad to the active roster, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. This suggests that Freiermuth won't be available for at least this week.

In a corresponding move, the Steelers have added TE Noah Gindorff to their practice squad. With Freiermuth expected to miss at least this week's game against the Ravens, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, and Rodney Williams are expected to serve as the three tight ends for Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Kenny Pickett news:

The diagnosis for Kenny Pickett was as encouraging as we all could have hoped for. While some initially speculated that it could be an MCL sprain or meniscus tear, Pickett escaped a scary situation with just a bone bruise and a mild knee strain.

Now ESPN's Brooke Pryor reports that Pickett is expected to practice in some capacity on Wednesday. How he progresses could determine his availability against Baltimore on Sunday. Even if Pickett misses the game, it's likely he will return to the field following the Week 6 bye.