Steelers HC Mike Tomlin says team feels good about Pat Freiermuth's potential return from IR this weekend
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he feels good about the potential availability of tight end Pat Freiermuth for the Week 11 road tilt against the Cleveland Browns (6-3) this Sunday.
“We’ll watch him go through the week and look at the quality of his work and the amount of it and how he feels and let that be a determining factor,” Tomlin said, via Pro Football Talk. “But, [we] feel good about his potential availability.”
Freiermuth, 25, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury he sustained in the 30-6 Week 4 defeat to the Houston Texans (5-4). The 2021 second-round pick out of Penn State was initially expected to miss 2-3 weeks, but suffered a setback in attempting to return in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams (3-6).
Prior to the injury, Freiermuth had hauled in just eight receptions for 53 yards and two touchdowns in four games. Over the two seasons prior, Freiermuth had been a reliable target, coming down with 123 receptions for 1,229 yards and nine scores. In his absence, Connor Heyward has carved out a limited role in the offense. The 24-year-old has hauled in 17 receptions for 137 yards in nine games (three starts).
Pat Freiermuth expected to return, Minkah Fitzpatrick TBD
Tomlin wasn’t as optimistic when it comes to the availability of star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and defensive lineman Montravius Adams. Fitzpatrick, who missed three straight days of practice last week, remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. He sustained the injury in the 20-10 Week 8 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3). The three-time All-Pro has 54 tackles (37 solo) this season, tied for second on the Steelers.
Adams, meanwhile, missed the game against the Packers with an ankle injury. Adams has amassed 21 tackles (10 solo), two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in eight games (eight starts) this season.
“Mon Adams has an ankle injury he’s working through. We’ll see what that does to his availability,” Tomlin said. “Minkah and his hamstring are the same thing. How much they’re available during the course of the week as a determining factor and obviously the quality of their work.”