Behind the Steel Curtain
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-1 after a 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings, and the offense had its most productive and balanced game of the season. Aaron Rodgers went 18-of-22 for 200 yards and an 80-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf. On the ground, Kenneth Gainwell stepped in for Jaylen Warren and had 99 yards on the ground with two scores, while the Steelers totaled 131 yards on the ground.
One aspect of the game that was particularly noticeable, however, was the absence of Pat Freiermuth. The Penn State product played just 15 snaps in Dublin and didn’t record a catch. For comparison, he played one fewer offensive snap than Connor Heyward. With that in mind, it feels like it’s time to have a conversation about Freiermuth, who is making over $12 million per year on his new extension.
So far this season, he’s caught just seven passes, and you could argue his most notable play was a drop against Seattle on a beautiful long ball from Aaron Rodgers. His EPA per reception ranks as the fifth-lowest among tight ends in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats, and he has just 65 yards receiving.
Additionally, he gives Pittsburgh almost nothing in terms of blocking, which is why he couldn’t get on the field on Sunday. Per FTN Fantasy, the Steelers averaged 6.2 yards per attempt on power runs in Week 4, and they were third in the league in power run percentage. It’s not a coincidence that the Steelers had their best day on the ground while keeping Freiermuth off the field.
This poses the very real question of what the Steelers should do with Freiermuth going forward. Their offense was successful with him off the field, and he’s being paid a ton of money. While a trade has been proposed as an option, there won’t be many teams lining up to take that contract. But with Darnell Washington and Jonnu Smith, Freiermuth is the third-best tight end on the roster right now, and it’s an issue that the Steelers need to find a way to solve. Whether that’s finding a trade partner or utilizing Freiermuth purely as a power slot pass-catcher, a resolution needs to be found soon.
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