When it comes to injuries, some are worse than others. While a broken bone needs time to heal, sometimes ligament or muscle strains can persist longer than expected. Among those muscle pulls which can be more long term than most realize, hamstring injuries would rank near the top of the list.

That is what sidelined Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth after the Week 4 game vs. the Houston Texans. He missed the game vs. the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, and the hope was he would be healthy enough to return following the team’s bye week.

After being a full participant at practice Wednesday, Freiermuth was limited Thursday. And for those who feared a set back, that fear has been realized based on reports from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

#Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth is expected to miss Sunday’s game against the #Rams and likely will be sidelined longer after aggravating his hamstring in practice Thursday, per sources.

Freiermuth had an MRI this morning, and now his return to action is on hold. pic.twitter.com/C4bHuOfMIV

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 20, 2023

To make matters worse, Pelissero didn’t just say Freiermuth re-aggravated the injury, but he could be sidelined longer than just this Week 7 game vs. the Los Angeles Rams. If you think back to last season, Ahkello Witherspoon was never right after his hamstring injury in a Week 2 Thursday Night Football game in Cleveland against the Browns.

The hope is that doesn’t happen for Freiermuth, and he is able to return sooner than later. Nonetheless, the fact an MRI is scheduled is the most comforting news for the fan base.

Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Rams in Week 7.