Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are banking on their tight end room balancing out the lack of a true No. 2 receiver. Considering the buzz around that position room, it’s a plan that could play out how Mike Tomlin’s team wants it to.
Pat Freiermuth is a proven commodity. Darnell Washington is an offensive tackle-sized threat of the likes that defenses don’t typically see. Jonnu Smith, who arrived with Jalen Ramsey from Miami, had the best season of his career last year. Connor Heyward, the often-overlooked member of the group, is a versatile player who has carved out his own role within the offense.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke glowingly of that quartet on Wednesday.
“I think it’s the best tight end room that I’ve been around in 21 years, because you have four extremely capable guys,” Rodgers said. “We had different runs at Green Bay, where we had some great players, but just the depth that we have here, with four guys who you feel great about having on the field at any time. They all have different skill sets they bring to the table.”
Smith, who notched 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight scores last year, has the same assuredness regarding his position group. He believes the other skill positions will help unlock their potential.
“The sky’s the limit,” Smith said Thursday. “We’re gonna be able to complement each other, play off of each other’s energy, man. … We’ve got a hell of a tight end room.”
Freiermuth is the team’s leading returning receiver, having caught 65 passes for 653 yards and seven touchdowns a campaign ago. George Pickens, traded to the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason, was the only pass-catcher with more targets and yardage than Freiermuth last season.
Darnell Washington, a third-year Georgia product, believes he’s poised for more of a role in the aerial game than in the past two seasons. He has 26 career grabs for 261 yards and a score. Rodgers likened Washington to a young Marcedes Lewis during mandatory minicamp in June.
“That’s a different beast right there, man,” Smith said. “That’s a different style of player. That guy is going to be a headache for a long time in this league.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Aaron Rodgers Heaps Massive Praise on Steelers Tight Ends
