Steelers Quietly Trying To Emulate Super Bowl Trend Pointed Out By George Kittle

The Pittsburgh Steelers brought in Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith ahead of the 2024 NFL season. The hope was that Smith could turn a lackluster offense into a physical, run-first unit built around a ground-and-pound attack. That vision also included using multiple tight ends in various personnel groupings to create mismatches and control the tempo. While there were flashes of that identity starting to form, there were also stretches where Smith’s offense failed to deliver when it mattered.

Now, with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the mix, the Steelers may finally be able to bring that vision to life. Rodgers brings leadership, experience, and the ability to make the right decisions before and after the snap. If he can operate efficiently within Smith’s system and make use of the tight ends in both the run and pass game, Pittsburgh could become a more balanced and dangerous offense in 2025.

On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle appeared on NFL on ESPN and shared what he believes is the winning formula in today’s NFL. Kittle pointed to teams with elite tight ends who are used in versatile ways across different personnel groupings as the ones most often playing for championships. Interestingly, that aligns closely with what the Steelers have been working toward in recent seasons. With the pieces now in place, Pittsburgh may finally be ready to fully embrace that blueprint.

"If you look at the past 10 Super Bowl winners, every team has either a Gronk [Rob Gronkowski], a [Travis] Kelce, Dallas Goedert—you have an elite tight end," Kittle said. "You have guys that make plays. I just think guys saw Gronk and the Patriots win all of these championships and thought, 'We need to invest more in tight ends.'"

Kittle pointed out that the last 10 Super Bowl champions have all featured multiple tight ends playing key roles in their offense. While not every team had a superstar at the position, his point still holds weight. 

The majority of recent champions have had strong, reliable tight end rooms that contributed both in the passing game and as blockers, helping to create balanced and efficient offenses.

"So I just think offenses have seen success with using tight ends and such," Kittle said. "We are going to try using them too. Now you see all of these tight ends from every team. The Ravens have a great tight end room… they have three great tight ends. So you build these rooms with great tight ends, and now you go 11 personnel, 12 personnel, 13, 22—all these personnels with all of these tight ends—and that's the best way to play the game."

How this relates to the Steelers is certainly interesting, as there were recent rumors linking Pittsburgh to a potential trade with the Miami Dolphins for veteran tight end Jonnu Smith. While that deal has yet to materialize, the speculation highlights Pittsburgh’s clear interest in strengthening its tight end room even further. The front office appears committed to building an offense that mirrors the formula Kittle believes leads to championships.

Steelers Could See Big Seasons From Two Tight Ends With Aaron Rodgers

In 2024, the tight end group fell short of expectations, but the Steelers have made investments that suggest they still view it as a potential strength. With Rodgers now leading the offense, there’s renewed hope for a breakout season from Pat Freiermuth, a talented young tight end looking to finally put it all together. Alongside him is the towering Darnell Washington, who offers a unique combination of size and physicality. If both players develop as expected with Rodgers, they could form a dangerous one-two punch in 2025.

Washington has made noticeable strides in improving his ability as a pass catcher, and the Steelers also added depth pieces to round out the group. Their commitment to building a strong tight end room aligns perfectly with Kittle’s vision of what it takes to win in today’s NFL. If Pittsburgh continues on this path, they may finally have the offensive identity needed to snap their playoff drought.

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