National Football League

Pittsburgh TE Pat Freiermuth will miss second straight game with hamstring injury

Published Oct. 20, 2023 5:33 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth will miss his second straight game after aggravating a hamstring injury.

The Steelers (3-2) downgraded Freiermuth to out for Sunday’s visit to the Los Angeles Rams (3-3). Freiermuth, who initially tweaked the hamstring against Houston on Oct. 1 and sat out an Oct. 8 win against Baltimore, practiced Wednesday but was limited Thursday and did not practice at all on Friday.

Rookie Darnell Washington will start with Freiermuth unavailable.

Pittsburgh outside linebacker T.J. Watt is expected to play after not practicing on Thursday due to a heel injury. Watt told reporters Friday that he dislocated his left pinky finger early in the victory over the Ravens. Watt said he popped the finger back into place and kept playing, adding that when he took his glove off the finger was "the size of a hamburger patty."

All signs point to wide receiver Diontae Johnson (right hamstring) being activated off injured reserve in time for kickoff. Johnson hasn’t played since injuring the hamstring early in the third quarter of a Week 1 loss to San Francisco.

Punter Pressley Harvin (strained right hamstring) should also return after missing two games.

Reporting by The Associated Press.