Pat Freiermuth
Freiermuth enters 2026 as Pittsburgh's veteran possession tight end, but he's a touchdown-dependent complementary piece rather than a featured pass-catcher, and his light preseason workload (one catch on one target across two games) reflects normal veteran-rest usage rather than any health or role red flag.
Role
Expect a rotational snap share in the 50-65% range split with Darnell Washington, with modest weekly target volume (roughly 3-5 looks) concentrated in the red zone and on possession downs; Jonnu Smith and Kenny Gainwell are gone, but Washington's new five-year deal and the addition of WR Michael Pittman alongside DK Metcalf keep the receiving pie crowded, and the Steelers' QB situation (Will Howard/Drew Allar) is unsettled entering the season.
With Jonnu Smith no longer on the roster, analysts note Freiermuth should run more routes and see more targets than his diminished 2025 total, and his career red-zone efficiency (scoring on roughly a third of his red-zone looks) gives him touchdown equity in what could be a run-heavy, short-passing game-manager offense.
Darnell Washington's new long-term contract signals the Steelers view him as the preferred in-line/receiving tight end, Pittman and Metcalf add fresh competition for what limited passing volume an unproven young quarterback will produce, and Freiermuth's 2025 decline (41-486-4 on just 54 targets) already happened even before this added competition arrived.
Where analysts split
The real split is whether Jonnu Smith's departure frees up enough leftover volume for Freiermuth to bounce back toward his 2024 level, or whether Washington's new contract plus the added receiver weapons simply cap him as a low-ceiling, touchdown-or-bust TE2 regardless of who leaves.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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