Michael Pittman Jr. will not be playing today when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the New England Patriots in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season. Pittman was officially ruled out Saturday because of a foot injury after initially being listed as questionable.
The Steelers receiver appeared on the injury report Wednesday as a limited participant before missing practice Thursday and Friday. Pittsburgh ultimately decided not to risk putting him on the field, leaving Aaron Rodgers without one of the team’s most important offensive weapons against New England.
Pittman’s absence is particularly significant because he made an immediate impact in his Steelers debut against the Atlanta Falcons, catching all three of his targets for 58 yards. His presence was expected to give Pittsburgh a reliable No. 2 receiver alongside DK Metcalf and prevent defenses from focusing too heavily on the team’s top target.
Who is Steelers WR2?
Michael Pittman’s absence could bring back some bad memories from 2025, when Pittsburgh struggled at times to find enough reliable production behind its top wide receiver. Without Pittman available, the Patriots can devote more attention to Metcalf, potentially creating more double-coverage situations for Pittsburgh’s primary weapon.
That puts additional responsibility on Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard. Wilson already saw six targets in the season opener, while Bernard played only three offensive snaps against Atlanta. The second-round pick is now expected to see a much larger role, giving Rodgers another young receiver who will need to step up against New England.
The tight ends could also become particularly important. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington give Rodgers two additional options who can work underneath and over the middle, potentially helping Pittsburgh counter extra attention on Metcalf while taking some pressure off Wilson and Bernard. Pittsburgh could also lean more heavily on multiple-tight-end formations with Pittman unavailable.
For the Steelers, the challenge will be finding enough ways to keep the passing game balanced without their No. 2 receiver. Pittman’s absence could force Metcalf to deal with more defensive attention, while Wilson, Bernard, Freiermuth and Washington could all have bigger roles as Pittsburgh looks to keep Rodgers’ offense productive against the Patriots.
