Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth admitted during locker room clean out day last Tuesday that the 2025 season was a trying year for him.
Freiermuth finished the season with 41 receptions on 53 targets for 486 yards (11.9 average) and four touchdowns. Freiermuth’s playing time dipped with the emergence of Darnell Washington and Jonnu Smith receiving snaps over him.
“I would say that I am disappointed with the lack of opportunities I was given, but at the end of the day, I’m a team player, and I was proud of myself for not making it about myself,” Freiermuth said.
The offense improved under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in 2025, but his personnel usage was still confusing. Especially with how he utilized Freiermuth. Arthur Smith continued to play Jonnu Smith even though he lacked chemistry with Aaron Rodgers all year.
Freiermuth hopes to be more involved moving forward.
“It’s always about the team and what we can do to win,” Freiermuth said. “I feel like I could have been in situations where I could help the team win more. But the longer I’m here, I would like to see myself involved more.”
Freiermuth also hopes Rodgers returns next season. If the four-time NFL MVP isn’t back, Freiermuth will once again have another quarterback under center.
“Pretty tough, especially as a pass-catcher,” Freiermuth said on the possibility of having a different quarterback next season. “I think it’s going to be 10 quarterbacks in six years. It’s pretty frustrating.”
Fortunately for Freiermuth, it seems very unlikely that Arthur Smith will be back in 2026.
Steelers president Art Rooney II revealed during his Wednesday press conference that he does not think anyone on the staff currently will be a candidate for the vacant head coach position.
“Right now, I don’t think anybody on our staff is a candidate,” Rooney said. “Maybe a candidate to stay on the staff depending on what the new head coach wants to do, but probably not as a head coach.”
Smith is the only one that could have been seen as a candidate. The fact that he’s not even getting an interview suggests that the organization wasn’t pleased with how things ended.
An unnamed Steelers player told Mike DeFabo of The Athletic that players had problems with Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, but not Mike Tomlin.
“Every player in that building wants to play for Mike T,” said the player. “Were guys upset with coordinators? Yes. Was it the head guy? No.”
Added another player: “We knew something was going to change. We just didn’t know it would be that. The guys that have been here longest, we don’t think that Mike T was the issue. We genuinely never lost the belief in the locker room. It was super emotional for us, because it’s not him.”
There is a chance that Smith could stay on the staff with a new head coach. But given DeFabo’s report, it would be surprising if that occurs.
*Brendan Howe provided...
