We had some interesting developments with the Steelers offense this past Sunday. No, it’s not the DK Metcalf going off for 126 yards, nor is it Kenneth Gainwell breaking out for 99 yards and two touchdowns. The sneaky big story from last Sunday’s game is the snap count from the tight end position. Pat Freiermuth was out snapped by Darnell Washington by a whopping three to one count. Even more concerning for Muth is Conner Heyward also got more snaps than the Steelers supposed TE1. If that weren’t bad enough, Freiermuth did not even get a target in the game. That’s right, he had zero catches on zero targets and was on the field less than special teams ace Conner Heyward. This begs the question, has Pat Freiermuth fallen out of favor in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense?
Rodgers lost trust?
If not with the Steelers coaching staff, it certainly seems like Pat Freiermuth has fallen out of favor with Aaron Rodgers. There have been a couple of different instances to point to as evidence. First off, was the deep pass drop on the sideline in the Seattle game. Rodgers threw one of his passes of the season under pressure right into the hands of the Steelers tight end, only for him to inexplicably drop it.
Then there was the play in New England where failed to sit in an open window in the Patriots zone defense where Rodgers was visibly frustrated.
It seems pretty obvious that Pat Freiermuth has found his way into Aaron Rodgers’ dog house. He has lost some measure of trust with his veteran quarterback, and that does not bode well for him going forward.
Running game liability?
The other elephant in the room is this team is clearly better running the football when Freiermuth is not on the field. This is a player who is not known to be a plus run blocker to begin with. This fact becomes more glaring when replaced by a player like Darnell Washington. Washington is a three hundred pound mauler who makes a stark difference for the Steelers run game in terms of blocking.
To make matters even worse, Freiermuth isn’t even the best pass catching tight end on the roster any longer. Jonnu Smith is now the preferred target in the passing game. Smith leads the tight ends in targets, and is utilized in many different ways in the Steelers offense. Pat Freiermuth has found himself in no man’s land in the Steelers offense.
Overpriced and expendable?
Right now Pat Freiermuth is the 9th highest paid tight end in the league, and he’s not playing anywhere close to that value. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/player/_/year/2025/position/te/sort/contract_average
With needs elsewhere, and depth behind him, would it surprise anyone if the Steelers were shopping thier underperforming tight end? Flipping Muth for much needed wide receiver help would not be out of the realm of possibility. Even if he were to make it through the season on the roster, Pat Freiermuth’s roster spot past 2025 is definitely in question.
There’s still plenty of time for Pat Freiermuth to redeem himself, but it won’t be easy. The team has found its running game using heavy packages without him on the field. Knowing how crucial the run game is makes this a very bad sign. Regaining trust from Aaron Rodgers is an equally tough task.
Mike Tomlin will tell you that the lack of snaps is game specific. The results of that game were highly favorable to the team meaning Pat Freiermuth has an uphill climb getting into the game plan in this offense. Truth is, he may never get there again.
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