Steelers rule out WR Pittman Jr. vs. Patriots with foot injury

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  Brooke PryorSep 19, 2026, 01:30 PM ET

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  Brooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.

FOXBOROUGH, Ma. -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without another starter for their Week 2 game against the New England Patriots after downgrading wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to out with a foot injury.

The Steelers previously ruled cornerback Joey Porter Jr. out after he left Thursday's practice with a back injury during his ramp-up period.

Pittman, who was traded to the Steelers from the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason, popped up on the practice report Wednesday as limited with the foot injury, and he didn't practice Thursday or Friday. Pittman also missed a sizable portion of training camp with an undisclosed injury he appeared to sustain during the team's Saturday night lights practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium on August 8.

Pittman caught all three targets for 58 yards in the season-opener against the Atlanta Falcons, and his presence helped free up top Steelers receiver DK Metcalf.

With Pittman sidelined, rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard is likely to see an increase in his workload. The second-round pick and Alabama product played only three snaps in Week 1, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers coaches praised the young pass catcher for his growth throughout the preseason.

"I think he's done a nice job," Rodgers said of Bernard on Sept 2. "He's got a great attitude. He really wants to learn. The best thing I can say about him is he hasn't made repeat mistakes. There's no mistakes going to happen. It's part of the game, especially for young guys. But when he does make a mistake, he takes it to heart and studies it and makes sure he doesn't repeat that thing."