Steelers' Mike McCarthy Delivers Great News At Wide Receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off of their bye week in Week 9, which means the players had several days to rest and get their bodies healthy ahead of the second half of the regular season. It also gave the coaching staff some time to self scout and see which areas of the team could be improved. The Steelers are 6-2 and at the top of the AFC North, but the team's clash with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10 will be one of the biggest games of the season as the winner will be in sole possession of the division. Pittsburgh will need all of the help it can get.

The Steelers need help at wide receiver, which has been talked about a ton with the NFL's trade deadline just 24 hours away. The Steelers could bring in external help at the position, but the team is also trying to get healthy at receiver. Both Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson have been on Injured Reserve (IR), and it is nearing the time when they each should be returning to the field.

Pittman's injury is a bit more complicated than Wilson's. Pittman has a plantar fascia injury, which can be complicated to come back from since it is an injury involving the foot. He is eligible to be activated to return for the team's game in Cincinnati, but that is a long shot as there is no clear timetable for his return. Head Coach Mike McCarthy spoke to the media on Monday and was asked about his veteran wideout. 

"I think Michael is getting close," McCarthy said. "I know his workout, I wanna say on Friday, was something that hopefully we can do more. Coming tomorrow and Wednesday. It'll be really great to see what Wednesday gives us when it comes to Cincinnati."

After McCarthy's comments on the matter, it seems like an extreme long shot that Pittman plays in Week 10. He is eligible to return, but the Steelers have not even opened up his 21-day practice window yet. He is still just doing normal workouts and rehabbing his foot, but the coach seems positive that the veteran will return at some point during the 2026 season.

Pittman is viewed as a wild card of sorts. It is hard enough to predict when players dealing with soft tissue injuries will return, but a foot injury like he has is a whole different animal. He has been dealing with the injury in some way, shape, or form since July, which has a lot of fans exercising caution when it comes to speculating about his return.

The veteran wide receiver has barely played since joining the Steelers. He has been available for three games, and he has caught seven passes for 89 yards. It will be interesting to see how he produces once he is able to return.

Steelers Are Waiting For Several Contributors To Return From IR

Pittman and Wilson are the two injuries that have been talked about the most because of the clear hole the Steelers have at wide receiver. The depth in the room was questionable coming into the 2026 season, and it was tested almost immediately. Wilson will be eligible to return from IR after the Bengals game, which means he could be on the field as early as Week 11.

Another piece on IR that the Steelers need back is second-year defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. He was placed on IR after going down with an injury against the Cleveland Browns back in Week 4. That means he has missed four games already, and he is eligible to return now. McCarthy sounded pleased with the progress Harmon has made on IR, and it sounds like he is someone that could be back on the field this weekend.

When do you think fans will see Pittman back on the field again? Who are you most excited to see return? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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