Mike Tomlin ‘Feels Good’ about Pat Freiermuth Returning This Week

PITTSBURGH — Tight end Pat Freiermuth appears set to return for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the team’s Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Freiermuth has been out since he suffered a right hamstring injury against the Houston Texans in Week 4. He was close to returning ahead of the club’s Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Rams, but then suffered a setback during practice that week. He was placed on the injured reserve list and this is the first week that he will be able to return.

“I feel good about Pat Freiermuth and we’ll watch him go through the week and look at the quality of his work, how much of it and how he feels and let that be the determining factor,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “I feel good about his potential availability.”

Those words echoed what Freiermuth said last week, when he said he planned to practice and hoped to be able to participate when the Steelers visit the Browns on Sunday.

“I’m not gonna jinx it this time,” he said last Wednesday after running off to the side while his teammates practiced.

#Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth ran off to the side during practice today. Appears to be nearing a return. pic.twitter.com/SPTXPYAvR7

— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) November 8, 2023

Freiermuth has eight catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns in four games this season. The third-year Penn State product had 63 grabs for 732 yards and two scores last season.

Since he’s been out, Connor Heyward has replaced Freiermuth as the team’s primary pass-catching tight end. He has 26 catches for 137 yards on the season.