Steelers Place WR Michael Pittman Jr. on Short-Term IR with Foot Injury

The Pittsburgh Steelers are officially placing wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on short-term injured reserve with a foot injury, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Just like that, Pittsburgh's passing attack loses a massive piece of its identity for at least the next month.

"Jeremy Fowler reported the move via sources."

Short-term IR mandates a minimum four-game absence, which means Pittman is completely off the board until November. Foot injuries for wide receivers are the absolute worst-case scenario. You can play through a lot of upper-body issues, but you cannot plant and run a crisp out route when your foundation is compromised.

The timing is brutal for Pittsburgh. The Steelers are set to host the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, and now they have to completely rewire their offensive game plan on a few days' notice.

Anyone holding Pittman in fantasy or looking at Pittsburgh's passing props for the weekend just got a massive wrench thrown into their spreadsheets. The target share has to go somewhere, but replacing a true top-tier receiver is never as simple as just promoting the next guy up the depth chart.

Now the pressure shifts entirely to the rest of the Steelers' receiving room. We will find out exactly what this offense is made of without its top weapon starting Sunday afternoon against Indy.