Arthur Smith helped the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense improve slightly. However, his offense still had many issues, especially in how it deployed personnel at times. Pat Freiermuth is the biggest example of a player hindered by Smith’s scheme. While he had been a consistent weapon in Pittsburgh, he was used less often in 2025. There didn’t seem to be a good reason for that, either. Former Steelers linebacker Vince Williams anticipates Freiermuth bouncing back in 2026, though.
“I think, a lot of the time, we’ve forgotten how good he was,” Williams said recently on Steelers Nation Radio. “We’ve forgotten the player that we paid and how dominant he could be because of the offense that he played in. I think he’s a person that could take another step forward and really remind everybody what he’s capable of.”
Freiermuth only had 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. That’s a career low in receptions and yards for him in a season where he was healthy. There were weeks where the offense nearly didn’t involve Freiermuth.
There’s a good chance that will be different in 2026, though, as the Steelers’ tight end room is a little lighter now. Pittsburgh traded for Jonnu Smith, and Arthur Smith kept trying to make him work in the team’s offense. However, he never caught on, despite continuous chances, and the Steelers parted ways with him earlier this offseason.
Also, Connor Heyward left the Steelers in free agency. That leaves Freiermuth and Darnell Washington as the only two established tight ends in Pittsburgh.
Washington’s receiving chops have developed since entering the league, but Freiermuth is still a better receiver than he is. He should get a lot of opportunities in Mike McCarthy’s offense.
Freiermuth had 65 catches for 653 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. With Aaron Rodgers back in Pittsburgh, it feels likely that Freiermuth can have a similar stat line this season. The Steelers have better wide receiver depth than they did in 2024, but that could also open up more chances for Freiermuth.
The Steelers gave Freiermuth a nice contract extension a few years ago, and he needs to live up to that price tag. He can prove that last year was a fluke and that he’s still a quality starting tight end.
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