Steelers' Reason For Not Using Pat Freiermuth Finally Revealed

It has been a frustrating 2025 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers in many ways. Every phase of the game has been inconsistent, leading to surprising wins and even more shocking losses. The team has not been able to string together several good performances in a row, which has led to a record of 6-6. A playoff appearance is still attainable because of how average the AFC North has been, but there are still a lot more questions in the Steel City compared to answers. There is barely any time to right the ship for Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his staff.

One of the more polarizing situations that the Steelers have put on tape through 13 weeks has been the lack of targets for tight end Pat Freiermuth. It has been a head-scratching situation for fans, as one of the more talented pass-catchers on the roster has barely been involved throughout the course of the season. Darnell Washington has played well, but there isn't much of an excuse to not get Freiermuth the ball more.

Against the Buffalo Bills, the offensive playmaker only played 40% of the snaps. As each week passes, it appears as if the coaching staff doesn't trust the veteran. Insider Ray Fittipaldo held his weekly fan chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and gave a legitimate reason for Freiermuth's continued absence. It appears as if the Steelers don't trust him going up against man coverage; there's also a little bit of a favoritism game being played.

"We've asked that question in some form almost every week to either Tomlin or [Arthur] Smith," Fittipaldo wrote. "They seem to think Freiermuth is only effective against zone coverage. Tomlin referred to him as a 'zone buster' earlier this season. Smith doesn't seem to have much use for him otherwise. [Jonnu] Smith is his guy and Freiermuth isn't. Sometimes that familiarity matters for a coach."

It makes sense as to why Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith may feel more comfortable with Jonnu Smith getting the snaps, but the reality of the fact is that Jonnu Smith has not been good for the Steelers either. Regardless, it appears as if fans finally have to accept the fact that a little bit of favoritism is being played, along with an apparent distrust in Freiermuth, unless a defense is in zone coverage.

There are a lot of interesting trends when it comes to the Steelers' offense in 2025. The number one issue is inconsistency, and the offense has not been very inspiring most weeks. Back in October, Pittsburgh lost to the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 33-31, but Arthur Smith's unit performed at a very high level. Freiermuth had 111 yards receiving in that contest; however, his second-highest total for the year is only 33.

Pittsburgh will need to get more creative in the final month of the 2025 campaign if getting to the playoffs is the main goal. Jonnu Smith may be the preferable option for Arthur Smith due to the comfort factor, but that is no excuse as a professional not to get Freiermuth in the mix more often. If this trend continues, it's very possible that the tight end gets traded in the 2026 offseason.

Steelers Bit Off More Than They Could Chew

The combination of Freiermuth, Washington and Jonnu Smith originally seemed like a great idea. Now, the offense is having a tough time using all of them, with the most likely candidate in Washington being the go-to guy at the position. It can't hurt to give Freiermuth more opportunities regardless of what the defense is set up in, mainly because the inconsistency and lack of production continues for the unit.

Do you think that the Steelers are botching the use of their tight ends? Let us know in the comments below!

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