Steelers Could Lose Two Key Players for Patriots Game

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots square off in Week 2 action, and both organizations are trying to establish their passing game early in the season.

In their Week 2 contest, the Steelers may have an even tougher road to success. The Patriots lost their star pass catcher, A.J. Brown, to a high ankle sprain in Week 1, so they already know the mountain they have to climb without him.

The Steelers exited Week 1 with a healthy lineup, or so they thought. That was until wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was limited earlier in the week, and followed that up with two consecutive days of not participating. The team’s latest injury report shared the disappointing update, making him questionable for the game.

To add to it, left tackle Troy Fautanu is in the same boat. The Steelers will make a game-time decision for Fautanu, who is dealing with an ankle injury. Unlike Pittman, who was unable to practice the final two days of the week, Fautanu was able to go from did not participate to full participation by the end of the week, hoping meaning good news for Pittsburgh.

What This Means for Steelers’ Wide Receivers

Pittman was a key part of the team’s offense in Week 1, leading the team with 58 receiving yards on three receptions. Without him on the field or in a limited capacity, the offense will feel it immediately in several different ways. The biggest issue it creates is who will be the secondary receiving target against the Patriots?

Without Pittman on the field, the Steelers will first and foremost rely even more on star wideout DK Metcalf.

Metcalf was targeted 10 times in the season opener. While he only connected with quarterback Aaron Rodgers for four receptions, Rodgers is going to feed him once again in Week 2.

But what about the rest of the targets?

Aug 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (14) takes the field to play the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Big Play Roman?

Week 2 presents possibly the biggest opportunity of Roman Wilson’s career. And there’s reason for confidence and optimism, as Wilson comes off a game where he was targeted six times. He only caught three of those passes for 26 yards, but the offense was clearly trying to get him involved with a big play.

Don’t just take my word for it, take it from the starting quarterback himself. Rodgers downplayed looking too far into target distributions, but he once again reaffirmed his and the organization's belief in Wilson.

”I thought he played fast last week,” Rodgers said ahead of the Week 2 contest. ”I thought he played decisive. And I think he’s just gonna keep on getting better.”

More Targets for Tight Ends?

Tight end Pat Freiermuth was another bright spot in the offense in their season opener. He caught the team’s lone touchdown catch, and that is hopefully a sign of more to come.

If the Steelers are trying to keep the offense moving while shorthanded, Freiermuth should be even more of a priority for Rodgers. Add in Darnell Washington and Robert Tonyan, and the team has plenty of options to get through an early season contest.

As for Left Tackle

Things get complicated for the Steelers if Fautanu cannot go. Dylan Cook would slide to the left side, starting alongside Mason McCormick. That would then open the door for first-round rookie Max Iheanachor to start at right tackle. The rookie doesn't have any in-game experience on the left side and did not play there much during the summer.

Pittsburgh would need to find a rotational option off of the practice squad to utilize as their backup. They only carry three tackles on their active roster.

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