Ben Roethlisberger Reveals What Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Thinks About Pittsburgh's Big Move To Acquire Jonnu Smith

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been all over the place throughout the 2025 offseason. General Manager Omar Khan has made several trades, while also being relatively aggressive in free agency. The biggest names to arrive in the Steel City include Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith. Additionally, there are rookies that will contribute immediately such as Derrick Harmon and Kaleb Johnson, among others. The organization has been one of the more talked about NFL franchises since the new league year began, and now many are interested to see if the team can compete at a high level during the regular season.

Fans thought that Khan may be done with the hectic offseason, but then he came out swinging big at the end of June, acquiring both Ramsey and Smith in a deal with the Miami Dolphins. While it certainly was a good haul, Pittsburgh had to part ways with Minkah Fitzpatrick. It will be highly criticized if the move doesn't work out for the Steelers sooner rather than later.

One player who could have been scratching his head after the deal is Pat Freiermuth. He is a clear-cut top tight end on the roster, but the front office made a decision to bring someone in that will certainly take some targets away from him in the passing game. The Steelers needed another weapon on offense, so it should be looked at as a positive, and fans will be happy to know what Freiermuth thought about the trade initially.

On the latest episode of the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast, Pittsburgh's legendary quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, mentioned that he texted Freiermuth after the surprising move, and the tight end was excited about playing alongside Smith.

"I did text Pat when it happened," Roethlisberger said. "He seemed to be in really high spirits, like he was excited. He goes, 'I think that the two of us can really do some cool things,' so I think that'll be interesting to see how that transpires."

There's no doubt that a trade like this may upset some tight ends around the league, depending on the specific situation, but it appears as if Freiermuth is having a mindset that is extremely team-first. That's exactly what fans want to hear, especially given the locker room issues that have arisen in recent years as it relates to pass-catchers.

The Steelers need a much more dynamic offense if the goal is to win one, or more, playoff games in 2025. The trade with the Dolphins emphasizes both sides of the ball, but it was extremely important to get another play-maker on the offensive side. Smith coming to town accomplishes that, and it's awesome that Freiermuth is fully on board with the decision to acquire Smith.

It will be interesting to see how the target share lines up for the duo, with both talented enough to be focal points of Pittsburgh's passing game. It's even possible that Smith occasionally lines up as a receiver due to his unique skill set. There's a strong possibility that both Smith and Freiermuth are on the field together very often, and particularly in the red zone.

Pittsburgh has emphasized a roster reconstruction throughout the 2025 offseason, and this move highlighted that, especially with it happening just a month prior to training camp in Latrobe, PA. Khan has made it clear that he wants to have a different kind of football team moving forward.

Steelers Must Utilize Both Freiermuth And Smith Effectively

Things could get a little complicated if one of the tight ends consistently feels left out of the game plan. The duo could be a lethal combination for Pittsburgh, so it will be essential that they are used properly. When one adds Freiermuth and Smith into an offense with Metcalf working as the top target, it could be an easy way to put a lot of points on the board.

Do you think that the Steelers will have any target share issues in 2025 with the tight ends? Let us know in the comments below!

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