Michael Pittman Camp Update — August 23: The Injury Finally Has a Name

Michael Pittman Junior's injury finally has a name: a hamstring, described as minor, with no reported concern about his availability for the September thirteenth opener against Atlanta. That is per Paolo Songco at Athlon Sports on August twentieth, and it is the most specific language in this file since Pittman went down at the Saturday Night Lights practice on August eighth. For two weeks the injury was just "lower-body" with an "uncertain" Week One tag attached; a minor hamstring with an expected return date is a materially better sentence.

The rest of the week was unchanged status. Pittman did not practice, and he watched Friday's 17-to-nothing loss to the Jets from the sideline, per Alex Kozora at Steelers Depot — his second straight preseason game in street clothes, in an offense that has yet to see him and Aaron Rodgers on the same field in a game setting. The receivers who played in his place graded out at a D, per Josh Carney at Steelers Depot, which is its own quiet argument for how much the offense needs its two veterans back.

Back in June we built the Pittman case on two traits: hundred-target volume that travels, and one of the sturdiest availability records at the position. The volume half is safe — nothing this month has threatened his role, and the team's earlier refusal to play Rodgers without him said as much out loud. The availability half is the one taking on water, gently: a player who almost never missed time has now missed three weeks of camp, and every missed practice also delays the timing work with a new quarterback in a new offense.

The checkable things this week: whether Pittman returns to practice before Thursday's finale at Buffalo, and whether he is practicing fully by cut day — rosters trim to 53 on Sunday, August thirtieth, and the opener is two weeks behind it. We'll check after cut day.

_Data via nflverse._