Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is still not getting the respect he deserves.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth may not be among the top players at his position, but there’s an argument that he is in the next tier down. The latest rankings far from reflect that, though.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 tight ends ahead of the 2026 season and Freiermuth came in at No. 20 overall.
Freiermuth is coming off the second fewest catches (41) and receiving yards (486) of his career in 2025. However, it was still better than a couple players ahead of him in Baltimore Ravens Mark Andrews (No. 14) and Los Angeles Rams Colby Parkinson (No. 15).
Freiermuth’s 2025 campaign shouldn’t be the end all be all, either, as he has been a very reliable target for the Steelers over the past five years.
In fact, Freiermuth’s down year could be contributed to several factors, maybe most notably, the Steelers’ crowded tight end room.
Last season, Darnell Washington, who ranks No. 27 on the list, emerged with 31 catches for 364 yards and one touchdown while Jonnu Smith stole another 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Washington isn’t going anywhere after signing a big-time extension this offseason, but Pittsburgh did part ways with Smith.
That, paired with another year of working with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, is why many are starting to believe that Freiermuth’s best football could still be ahead of him.
“Pat’s one stand-out ability was the ability to make a contested catch. He’s not the fastest guy, but he can get open, and making contested catches is really a good quality of his,” former Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said this offseason. “This will be his first season on coach [Mike] McCarthy’s offense. … He’s a very good NFL tight end. Have we seen the best of him? Probably not. New offense, we’ll see what happens.”
Only time will tell if that will happen, but it seems like a good chance that Freiermuth will at least prove that he deserves to be higher on this list.
A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Freiermuth has recorded 261 catches for 2,676 yards and 22 touchdowns in his professional career.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Pat Freiermuth Disrespected in Latest TE Rankings
