The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to have an improved offense in 2024, even with the question marks at the quarterback position. If they want to truly be a good or even great offense, they need many players to breakout and start playing up to their potential consistently. If not, the Steelers will just be like every other team since the Killer B's era ended.
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Steelers' Pat Freiermuth tries to break a tackle against the Indianapolis Colts.
One of the players that has to breakout is Pat Freiermuth, especially in a contract year. If he wants a big payday after the 2024 season, he will have to prove that he can be the player that the Steelers drafted him to be. Craig Wolfley, an analyst for the Steelers and a former player, believes that Freiermuth can be that dynamic tight end, especially with how this offense is built. He spoke about those expectations on Big Blue Kickoff.
"The de facto, if you asked me right now, the number two receiver is going to be Pat Freiermuth, and they've got to get him more targets. They saw what he's capable of doing when he caught nine of 11 and [100+ yards] against Cincinnati [Bengals]. That's what he needs, more targets, and there wasn't enough targets for him last year. Mark my words: I think Freiermuth, at the end of the day, he's going to be one of the top five tight ends in the league when you run them down."
Because the Steelers rarely threw the ball in the middle of the field, Freiermuth rarely had the opportunity to be a big factor in the passing game. Kenny Pickett would mostly check it down to his running backs, hit George Pickens on a back-shoulder fade, or find Diontae Johnson on the other side of the field. That refusal to go over the middle has dropped Freiermuth's stock.
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Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is sandwiched by two Cincinnati Bengals defenders after making a catch during their Week 12 matchup in 2023.
Once Matt Canada was fired, everything changed. In the first game without Canada, Pickett and the Steelers attacked the middle of the field. Freiermuth had nine receptions for 120 yards, as Wolfley mentioned. The Steelers had finally found a way to get their starting tight end involved in a game and made it worthwhile.
After that game, however, Freiermuth and the Steelers did not replicate that success. His next best game statistically was in Week 17, when he caught just three passes for 44 yards on just four targets. A reliable tight end could be a vital part of the team, but if they can't get him the ball throughout the season, what's the point of investing assets into someone like Freiermuth?
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Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (#8) throws to Pat Freiermuth (#88) in the middle of the field in Cincinnati, OH.
How Will Steelers Get The Ball To Freiermuth?
The receiving core has been questioned all offseason long, as the Steelers do not have a clear, reliable option for their starting receiver position alongside Pickens. Because of that, Freiermuth will most likely get the ball his way more often. Even in a run-first offense like Arthur Smith's, the Steelers will be forced to target a player that they're comfortable with, and Freiermuth is that option for the team.
If Freiermuth can emerge and become a top five tight end like Wolfley believes, Pittsburgh's offense can truly go to the next level. In the 2023 postseason, all four teams that made the conference championship had a dynamic, reliable, high-end tight end. It always helps to just have a big body in the middle of the field that can catch whatever comes his way. With all the questions that remain surrounding Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the Steelers need that easy option to truly thrive.
What do you think about Wolfley's take on Freiermuth's ceiling? Can he truly be a top five tight end? Let us know in the comments.
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