Steelers' Stubbornness Is Absolutely Costing Pat Freiermuth In 2025: "Nothing Will Change"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one very clear issue on offense in recent years: their refusal to use the middle of the field between the 20s. In the red zone, they will happily go there for a touchdown attempt, especially when it involves a tight end, but they'd much rather move the ball down the sidelines or with checkdowns while passing. That issue was emphasized in their Week 12 loss, where one of the only passes attempted close to within the hash marks was a score caught by tight end Pat Freiermuth.

Despite that touchdown, Freiermuth's usage has gone down a lot, and it has even led to him being rumored in trade talks. No one seems to have an explanation for why he has been phased out of the offensive gameplan, even though he is a very reliable receiver. Sure, it's argued that he does not block as well as Darnell Washington, but he can still add an extra dimension to the passing game.

In his recent article on X, insider Mark Kaboly theorized that not only would we not see Freiermuth, but it would be because the men who run the team can't admit that they were wrong for leaving him out.

"'Keep watching,' Tomlin recently said about Freiermuth's lack of usage. OK. I’ll keep watching, but something tells me that nothing will change, and that’s not only a shame, but it also has the feel of cutting your nose off to spite your face," Kaboly said. "Featuring Freiermuth over the last month of the season is admitting that the decision-makers were wrong, and God forbid that."

Freiermuth has clearly been limited as he has only started four games this season, despite being healthy for every single one. He is only playing half of the snaps, but when the ball goes his way, good things tend to happen. 111 of his 298 yards came in one game. He has shown that when he is featured in the offense, he does well, but his play style completely goes against what Tomlin wants to do.

Freiermuth is a quality route-runner that excels in the middle of the field. He can get good separation and can occasionally make the tough catches as well. When he is actually used correctly, he has the potential to be a Top 10 tight end in the NFL, and maybe even better. However, it seems like the Steelers only feel comfortable with using him in the red zone, or maybe in a flat route as a checkdown option.

Steelers' Offensive Issues Start At The Top

Failing to use the middle of the field seems to be a Mike Tomlin issue, as that has been a talking point over the last few offensive coordinators. Meanwhile, he has a well-respected offensive mind in Arthur Smith and a quarterback he was begging for in Aaron Rodgers, yet the passing charts still show that the Steelers are continuously avoiding the middle of the field. It's been argued that passing in the flats and down the sidelines can help reduce turnovers, however Pittsburgh has seemingly been limited offensively over the last few seasons by not taking more advantage of areas in between the hash marks. Fans are calling for more balance.

Tomlin's whole mindset is to avoid giving up turnovers by any means necessary, which is why he seems to be so against using the middle of the field. If that means that one of his more talented offensive weapons gets completely phased out of the offense, what's truly the risk versus reward? As Kaboly said, this seems to even go beyond a schematics standpoint, but an overall philosophy that has many fans skeptical. 

Tomlin said "keep watching" almost two months ago. Outside of that one monster performance in Week 7, Freiermuth has not surpassed 33 yards in a single game. Steeler Nation is still watching. 

What do you think about Tomlin and the Steelers holding Freiermuth back? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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