Gentry is expected to serve as the Steelers' starting tight end in Sunday's game against the Buccaneers with Pat Freiermuth (concussion) having been ruled out for the Week 6 contest, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
With Freiermuth having yet to clear the NFL's five-step protocol for head injuries after suffering his third concussion in two seasons in last week's loss to the Bills, Gentry is the next man up at tight end. Even with Freiermuth playing roughly half of the game last week, Gentry still saw the field for 64 percent of the Steelers' offensive plays and parlayed the added playing time into a 5-43-0 receiving line on six targets. The Steelers' large deficit throughout the second half likely played a part in the team running a pass-heavy game script, but Sunday's matchup with the heavily favored Buccaneers should continue to open up opportunities in the passing game for Gentry and Connor Heyward, who is expected to serve as the No. 2 option at tight end. The 6-foot-8 Gentry should provide rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett with a big target in the short and intermediate areas of the field as well as the red zone.