We’ve gotten through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week. Unfortunately, all three of the other AFC North teams picked up a victory on Sunday, including the Cleveland Browns’ upset over the San Francisco 49ers. That means the Steelers are no longer atop the division at 3-2. On a positive note, the bye week came at a much needed time with the team’s plethora of injuries.
The week off allowed several guys to heal up, and wideout Diontae Johnson and running back Anthony McFarland Jr. are just two of those examples. The two playmakers both got hurt against the 49ers in Week 1 and have been out since. According to team's official site, both of them have returned to practice and opened the window for them to return off IR. In even more positive news, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that tight end Pat Freiermuth will return in Week 7 as well.
There is a possibility in which the Steelers wait a week or two to activate them. Remember, teams have 21 days to activate a player off the IR once they begin practicing. Still, in all likelihood, McFarland and Johnson will be back in action this upcoming weekend against the Los Angeles Rams. Just before the bye week, Johnson told the local media that he was absolutely coming back for Week 7. That will be a huge jolt for an offense that has struggled a ton in 2023.
Johnson got off to a hot start in that opening game against the 49ers, as he had a team-high three catches and 48 receiving yards before going down with a hamstring injury. The team made sure that hamstring issue was fully healed before giving him a chance to return to the lineup. At times, the Steelers wideouts have struggled to get open this season, and that's something that Johnson will help with.
As for McFarland, he had an impressive summer to win the third-string running back job. It may not seem like a huge deal for the team to get a third-stringer back in action, but he brings value elsewhere. To start the year, he was the Steelers' primary kick returner, and his presence has been missed there. With Desmond King II still not fully up to speed, the team was forced to use Gunner Olszewski in the return game in Week 5.
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Despite his ongoing struggles, it seems like Olszewski will remain on the team (for now). Once again, the former All-Pro returner had a costly fumble against the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers won't have to worry about that if McFarland does indeed return in Week 7 from his knee injury. In three kick returns on the season, McFarland averaged 30.3 yards per attempt, which included a 34-yard return.
As for Freiermuth's return, the offense will need to try and get him back involved moving forward. In four games on the season, the tight end has just eight catches for 53 yards. Those numbers would by far be career lows, as he's suffered from the offense's lack of using the middle of the field. It will be interesting to see if the team makes it a plan to use the middle of the field more moving forward.
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