The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely going to be the final stop in the legendary career of Aaron Rodgers. After announcing his intentions to retire after this year, his reunion with head coach Mike McCarthy has taken on an even deeper meaning.
But the team also wants to be a contender in the AFC, which is why they added Michael Pittman Jr. to a wide receiver room that already has DK Metcalf. Unfortunately, before the season could get underway, both their top receiving options went down with separate injuries.
What Is DK Metcalf’s Injury?
Metcalf was a major acquisition for the Steelers last offseason when Rodgers first came to the franchise. As the team made it to the playoffs in a brutal AFC North, he proved to be well worth the investment.
Tallying 850 receiving yards and six touchdowns, he was a constant threat throughout the season. This year, with an offensive-minded head coach, the hope had to be that he would take his numbers up a notch, as he has in the past.
But fans began to grow worried when the two-time Pro Bowler was absent from practices for almost two weeks. An unidentified injury on August 8 kept him out of action, with no word from the player or the organization causing tensions to further mount.
What Is Michael Pittman Jr.’s Injury?
Pittman is their addition this summer after lighting it up for the Indianapolis Colts last season. With Daniel Jones as his quarterback for the majority of the year, he tallied 784 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
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As a result, the Steelers were hoping that he could be the missing piece to take the team to the next level. However, fans grew worried that his tenure had already gotten off to a rocky start.
During an early August practice, he suffered an injury in his right leg. The exact details of the ailment are unclear, as Pittman has declined to offer an answer on that subject. But away from practice for approximately two weeks, tensions began to mount.
When Will Pittman and Metcalf Return?
Metcalf was comfortably the most utilized receiver in the Steelers’ room last year. As a result, he ranked at number 14 on PFN’s Wide Receiver Impact Metrics. Still, the team believed it needed a little more juice offensively.
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That is where bringing in Pittman was a smart choice under McCarthy, after he finished at number 24 on the same metric. And, as it turns out, the fan base doesn’t have to worry about waiting long to see them in action.
Despite being held out of practice for two weeks, Pittman was finally back on the field earlier this week, albeit in pads for stretching and individual workouts. He still isn’t going at 100%, but with nearly two weeks to the beginning of the season, the signs are looking extremely positive.
Similarly, Metcalf was also among the group to return to practice on Monday, August 24. Like Pittman, he, too, was in pads on that day. But the Steelers open their season against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13.
With nearly two weeks to spare, it should give both Pittman and Metcalf ample time to be ready to suit up when the game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET.
