Multiple Teams Interested In Steelers' Pat Freiermuth As Potential Trade Compensation Leaks

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense has been efficient, but not earth-shattering to start the 2025 season. Aaron Rodgers has done enough to inspire confidence that this offense can help the team win games rather than hinder them, but it has yet to reach its full potential. While the passing game has shown flashes of effectiveness, the Steelers are still searching for ways to maximize production from their key playmakers.

One major storyline has been star tight end Pat Freiermuth seeing his snap count and target share decline. The Steelers boast a talented tight end room with Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington, but through the first four games, Freiermuth ranks fifth on the team in receiving yards and sixth in catches. For a player who has been a central piece of the offense in previous seasons, this reduced involvement has raised eyebrows among fans and analysts alike.

Though discussing a trade involving Freiermuth may seem premature, some are beginning to consider it as a possibility. On 93.7 The Fan Thursday, an anonymous former NFL general manager suggested that Freiermuth’s trade value could fetch a third- or fourth-round pick. While the Steelers have yet to indicate any interest in moving him, the speculation highlights the questions surrounding his role in this offense and whether the team might look to leverage his value to address other needs.

"I don't know what's going on with Freiermuth," said the unnamed GM. "A team would definitely trade for him like the Commanders or Rams. I think the Steelers could get a 3rd or 4th for him."

Many fans are shocked to see Freiermuth’s production so low in the 2025 season, but they also understand the situation. The Steelers have an offense filled with players who can create a variety of mismatches, and early in the year, it seems Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith haven’t prioritized targeting Freiermuth based on the schemes being used against them.

When the Steelers drafted Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, there was a lot of hope that he could become the next dominant tight end in the Steel City. In his rookie year, he had the opportunity to play alongside the legendary Ben Roethlisberger. 

That season, Freiermuth saw 79 targets and scored seven touchdowns, showing early signs of his potential. In the 2024 season, he had 65 catches for 653 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, but now, in 2025, faces the challenge of finding ways to earn more opportunities and boost his production in 2025.

Steelers Fans Want To See More From Pat Freiermuth

This doesn’t mean the Steelers are planning to trade Freiermuth or that he won’t see opportunities in 2025. Through four games, he has just seven catches for 65 receiving yards and no touchdowns. The main reason for his drop in production is that he’s only been targeted 10 times so far this season. While some of that is not his fault, there have been instances where he’s dropped passes.

It’s clearly not a talent issue with Freiermuth, but if the Steelers don’t find a way to get him more involved, they may eventually need to consider other options, including a potential trade. For now, though, the focus remains on integrating him more effectively into an offense that has plenty of weapons but hasn’t fully leveraged his skills.

It’s a long season ahead, and though Freiermuth hasn’t had many opportunities yet, the Steelers are likely to rely on him more as the year progresses.

How do you view Pat Freiermuth’s role so far in the 2025 season, given his surprisingly low number of targets? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me.

#SteelerNation