With how quickly time flies, it’s hard to believe that Pat Freiermuth is already becoming one of the veterans for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former second-round pick in 2021, Freiermuth is heading into his sixth NFL season.
But all this time later, former Steelers GM Kevin Colbert still remembers what made Freiermuth worth taking off the board.
“Pat’s one stand-out ability was the ability to make a contested catch. He’s not the fastest guy, but he can get open, and making contested catches is really a good quality of his,” Colbert told Steelers Depot’s Scott Brown.
Freiermuth had a lot of strengths coming out of college, and making contested catches was one of them. His hands are consistent and he isn’t afraid of physical catches in traffic. But he also had a combination of route running and overall athleticism to pair with that size.
Colbert caught some flak for his final draft class in 2022, and most of the criticism is understandable. But Freiermuth is one solid addition from the 2021 draft. He fell just short of 500 receiving yards in his rookie year, then took a big jump with 732 in his second year. He was nagged by a hamstring injury in his third year. But after bouncing back with over 650 yards in 2024, Freiermuth’s future seemed bright, especially with Aaron Rodgers coming to town in 2025.
However, for one reason or another, Freiermuth saw his usage start to plummet last season. In Colbert’s eyes, a bigger role is on the horizon.
“This will be his first season on coach [Mike] McCarthy’s offense. I think he could, but no one knows because no one has seen Coach McCarthy’s offense with the Steeler personnel yet. He’s a very good NFL tight end. Have we seen the best of him? Probably not. New offense, we’ll see what happens,” Colbert said.
Freiermuth’s targets were few and far between in 2025, but he made the most of the chances he got. He caught 41 of his 54 targets and actually set a career high in yards per reception with 11.9. It also marked his third season with at least four touchdown receptions.
Even when Freiermuth couldn’t establish a consistent role last year, Aaron Rodgers acknowledged the Steelers needed to get him the ball more. Without Jonnu Smith in the fold, Freiermuth should be more involved.
The chemistry between Freiermuth and Rodgers was there in 2025. Freiermuth should have a better chance to stand out with only Darnell Washington in line for consistent targets at the tight end position. An upgrade in play calling with Mike McCarthy can’t hurt things, either.
Under contract through 2029, Pat Freiermuth should have plenty of time left in the Black and Gold. If he can fulfill Colbert’s hopes and give the Steelers the best year of his career, it would provide a massive boost to the offense.
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