Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Had Unique Way Of Working With Pat Freiermuth During Tight End's Rookie Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very long list of influential players. Some still remain on the team as the 2025 season quickly approaches, but many of the franchise legends have retired. The rosters throughout the early 2000s were certainly something to behold, as it seemed as if every year the team would be in the hunt for a Super Bowl championship. The big names like Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu, among many others, will always be remembered by fans in the Steel City. Some others remain underrated, and one of those individuals is tight end Heath Miller, who has two Super Bowl rings.

After Miller retired following the 2015 season, fans went through a significant stretch without a reliable tight end to count on. While he is still probably not used enough, Pat Freiermuth has provided stability at the position since he was drafted back in the second round in 2021. He signed a contract extension in 2024, which tied him to the Steelers through the 2028 campaign.

Roethlisberger had the opportunity to play with both Miller and Freiermuth, which is not something many individuals can say. The team's current tight end appeared on an episode of Breaking Bread, hosted by Donny Chedrick of 93.7 The Fan, and when Freiermuth was asked about Miller, he shared a very telling story about how Roethlisberger wanted to mold him into a form of Miller.

"He was a stud, I've watched him," Freiermuth said. "When I first got here, Ben [Roethlisberger] would show cut-ups of Heath and him, and would be like, 'Hey you see,' just talking through the game, and just seeing it how he saw it, and the connection that Heath and Ben had. It was just unbelievable."

They say if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and it appears as if Roethlisberger was attempting to do this when Freiermuth arrived after being drafted. During his rookie season, the tight end had 60 catches for 497 yards and seven touchdowns. It definitely makes sense that, after a strong relationship with Miller, Roethlisberger wanted to build that same kind of rapport with his new third-down weapon in Freiermuth back in 2021.

The Steelers are extremely lucky to have Freiermuth on the roster. While he hasn't been the most dynamic tight end in the NFL, he has been there when called upon. It doesn't hurt that he had a year to learn from Roethlisberger, and it seems as if Freiermuth continues to try and model his game a little after Miller. Fans have come to love both players, as the tight end position has remained in good hands for the majority of the 21st century.

With Freiermuth tied to the Steelers for several more seasons, he will look to try and break several of Miller's records. The retired tight end will certainly welcome it, as he was known to be as good of a person as anyone in Pittsburgh's locker room for over a decade. Great players at the position don't grow on trees, so it says a lot about the organization's success when evaluating talent in the area of late.

One could argue that Freiermuth is still waiting to have a complete breakout year. The offense hasn't necessarily been designed to utilize him too much in recent seasons, but the hope is that this fact changes in 2025.

Steelers Have To Use Freiermuth More In 2025

Teams in the NFL that have strong tight end play typically have a more formidable offense. No one is asking Freiermuth to be the very best in the league, but his talents could absolutely allow him to put up huge numbers. This should be an emphasis for in 2025 for an offense that has yet to put a consistent season together in several years.

Do you think that the Steelers have knocked it out of the park when it comes to the tight end position in the 21st century? Let us know in the comments below!

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