Report: Steelers Plan to Activate Pat Freiermuth from IR for Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth will be returned from the injured reserve list and be added to the team’s 53-man roster for the club’s Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns, according to a report by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

It’s not clear how much Freiermuth will play, if he will have a normal workload or if he will be 100%. Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson played about half of his usual snaps in his return from a multi-week hamstring injury earlier this season.

Connor Heyward and Darnell Washington have split time as the Steelers’ starting tight end in Freiermuth’s absence, with Heyward taking on most of the receiving role and Washington helping spark the Pittsburgh rushing attack with his blocking.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight ends Connor Heyward and Pat Freiermuth against the Buffalo Bills, Aug. 19, 2023. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

Freiermuth was officially listed as questionable in the team’s injury report on Friday. The Steelers have two vacancies on their 53-man roster, after waiving nose tackle Breiden Fehoko and putting linebacker Kwon Alexander on IR earlier this week. and will not need to make another move in order to activate Freiermuth.

After being a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, Freiermuth was a full participant on both Thursday and Friday. Freiermuth had been close to returning once before, when he was a full participant in a Week 7 practice leading up to the team’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, but suffered a setback that landed him on the IR.

He has been out since he first suffered the injury in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. 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.