Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Has Quick Fix For Arthur Smith And The Offense Amidst Constant Struggles

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of an offensive rut. The group had just three points on the board for the majority of the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10, and the offense could only muster up 27 points in a victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9. 27 points is great, but when the defense forces six turnovers, more points are expected. 

The offense has to figure out a solution to whatever is going on as the hardest time of the year is approaching, and the lead in the AFC North is getting smaller by the week. The game against the Chargers was an all around disaster and Aaron Rodgers did not play well at quarterback.

Rodgers missed several throws in L.A., and it seemed like the passing game was just out of sync altogether. Either guys were not getting open or the offensive line blew a rep. Things just were not working out. Rodgers was asked about this during his media availability on Wednesday, and he had some ideas for how to improve the passing game moving forward.

"I feel like [Pat Freiermuth] had more reps that game and more opportunities to be in the progression, early in the progression," Rodgers said. "I think that was a big part of it. But Pat's a really smart player and we gotta keep finding ways to get him on the field. Darnell's [Washington] been a big part of our success, but we gotta give Pat some more opportunities, too. And maybe both of them out there at the same time."

Rodgers wants to see more of tight end Pat Freiermuth, who has had a pretty good month for the Steelers despite the 1-3 record over the last four contests. Rodgers referenced his performance during the first time Pittsburgh faced off with the Cincinnati Bengals, which was Freiermuth's biggest game of the season so far. The veteran quarterback wants to see the tight end involved in more progressions, early on in the progression, that way he has a chance to be more involved.

Many were critical of Freiermuth early on in the season as he was not very involved in the offense, but there has been a couple of games during the 2025 season where that has not been the case. The Bengals game, he caught five passes for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, but there has also been times this season where he has not caught a pass or only caught one ball. Rodgers wants to see that change moving forward, as he would like to see both Freiermuth and Darnell Washington more involved in the passing game.

Freiermuth having a decreased role in 2025 was kind of expected. Washington had made improvements and is the better blocker, and the franchise bringing in Jonnu Smith would obviously eat some of Freiermuth's snaps. The tight end has handled everything well and has approached this year with a team-first attitude, but it is time for Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith to make him a priority within the offense.

Steelers Must Rely On Tight Ends Moving Forward

The Steelers had issues with wide receivers getting open in the loss to Los Angeles, and it is clear that Pittsburgh does not have a great receiving room. That is why the tight ends need to be more involved as there is a chance that the Steelers have the best group of tight ends in the NFL. Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith each have big play ability, while Washington is a reliable option that can always gain some extra yards with the ball in his hands. 

Arthur Smith needs to lean into using these tight ends, which is something he did earlier in his career.

What do you think about the Steelers using Freiermuth more? Let us know in the comments below!

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