Steelers activate Pat Freiermuth off IR, place Keanu Neal on IR

For the first time since the season opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers have their entire offense available.

Starting tight end Pat Freiermuth was activated off the injured reserve list Saturday, clearing him to play in Sunday’s AFC North showdown at the Cleveland Browns. Freiermuth had not played since Oct. 1 because of a hamstring injury. He had returned to practice this week.

The Steelers lost starting wide receiver Diontae Johnson for four games earlier this season, and by the time he returned, Freiermuth was out with his injury.

As Freiermuth comes off IR, a co-starter at safety is going on it. Keanu Neal suffered a rib injury returning an interception late during last week’s home victory against the Green Bay Packers. He did not finish that game and did not practice all week. IR rules stipulate he will miss at least four games.

In response to that — and that All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick remains out with a hamstring injury — the Steelers have elevated Trenton Thompson from the practice squad. Thompson, who entered 2023 with one regular-season game and no snaps of NFL experience on defense, made his Steelers debut last week and subbed in for Neal during the Packers’ final drive.

Thompson said this week that coaches told him he will start in Cleveland. With no Neal or Fitzpatrick, the Steelers’ other options to line up next to Damontae Kazee are special-teams captain Miles Killebrew and utility-man defensive back Elijah Riley, the latter of whom lines up more often in the slot.

Joining Thompson as a practice-squad elevation for a second consecutive week is inside linebacker Tariq Carpenter, whose duties against Green Bay were limited to special teams.

But with co-starters Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander having suffered season-ending injuries in consecutive weeks, inside linebacker is in need of reinforcements by the Steelers. To address that, the Steelers added Mykal Walker to the active roster from the practice squad.

A veteran of three NFL seasons, 49 games and 20 starts, the 26-year-old Walker was signed Oct. 30. He had 107 tackles in 16 games (12 starts) for the Atlanta Falcons last season.

The moves still leave the Steelers with an open spot on their active roster.

By rule, a player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times in one season, leaving Carpenter and Thompson one available elevation after Sunday.

In a development related to the Steelers’ hole at inside linebacker, the NFL Network reported “mutual interest” between the team and Myles Jack. Jack, 28, played 15 games (13 starts) for the Steelers last season after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. But the Steelers released Jack after they signed ILBs Holcomb and Elandon Roberts in free agency.

Jack spent two weeks during the preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles but parted ways in what was termed a retirement.

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