Pittsburgh Steelers Clear 2 Pass Catchers for Week 15

The Pittsburgh Steelers passing attack should have close to its full arsenal in Sunday's matchup with the Carolina Panthers. The team did not list wide receiver Diontae Johnson or tight end Pat Freiermuth on their final injury report, indicating both will play in Week 15.

A look at player injuries & practice participation for Week 15. @UPMCSportsMed https://t.co/FFvJR2YSZW
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 14, 2022

Johnson (hip) and Freiermuth (foot) missed Thursday's practice and were limited participants Friday. Both played typical snaps in the Steelers' Week 14 16-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, combining for 115 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Johnson and Freiermuth rank first and second on the Steelers in receiving yards and should come in handy for a squad that expects to be without starting quarterback Kenny Pickett. Though backup Mitchell Trubisky is not a significant downgrade, any absence from other key pieces could have spelled disaster for an already struggling Steelers pass game. They rank 28th this year in net yards per passing attempt this season.

Johnson joined the Steelers as their 66th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He earned a two-year, $36.71 million extension with the team earlier this year thanks largely to a 2021 season in which he hauled in 107 receptions for 1161 yards and eight touchdowns. Freiermuth was drafted 55th overall by the Steelers in 2021 and has totalled an impressive 1127 receiving yards over his 28 career appearances.