Aaron Rodgers Throws Shade At Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith

As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to play inconsistent football during the 2025 season, a lot of questions have arisen about why specific players aren't being used in certain situations. Both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball have their respective issues, but one of the most glaring for the team as a whole has been the lack of Pat Freiermuth's involvement week-in and week-out. The former second-round selection has pretty much been nonexistent aside from one strong performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, which has sparked sincere worry and concern amongst a fan base that is growing increasingly frustrated.

The Steelers have made sure to use Darnell Washington much more than anyone anticipated, and that approach has worked from time to time, but there remains no excuses for not having Freiermuth on the field more often. In Week 13, he only played a total of 17 offensive snaps. It continues to be such a head-scratching situation due to the amount of talent the Penn State graduate has.

Aaron Rodgers would seriously benefit from having Freiermuth running routes more often. The offense is sputtering and there don't seem to be many answers to the questions that surround the unit. When speaking with the media during his weekly availability, the future Hall of Fame quarterback acknowledged, via a team transcript, that he wants to see more of Freiermuth; however, it's not his decision to have the tight end on the field more often.

"Some of it is just his play count, so that's above my pay grade," Rodgers told the media on Wednesday. "The more opportunities that he's gotten in certain games, he's had some big games for us. I felt like after Cincinnati, he was kind of getting going, but Darnell has also been playing exceptionally well... It's hard to take Darnell off [of] the field, you know, he's been so good, but I'd love to see more opportunities for Pat."

Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is well-respected around the league, but the Steelers' fan base continues to question why he is refusing to get Freiermuth involved on a weekly basis. It can easily be argued that the tight end is the team's second-best pass-catcher, and yet, he is not getting the opportunities that he deserves in pivotal moments of games.

Something has to give for the Steelers' offense. If Freiermuth continues to watch from the sideline compared to competing on the field, it should surprise no one if he requests to be traded come the offseason. He is a very talented competitor that is not getting the chances that he deserves. Now, his quarterback is going as far as subtly letting the offensive coordinator know that he wants his tight end more involved.

Smith has had both ups and downs as Pittsburgh's play-caller. There have been games when the offense exploded, and then there have been several duds as well. It is mystical as to why Freiermuth is not being utilized more often. Without a doubt, however, Rodgers wanted someone to hear his comments. That someone was Smith, who has the ability, via his "pay grade," to make a change regarding snap counts. Fans will see if the coaching staff listened in Week 14.

Steelers Have To Try Something Else To Become More Consistent

Pittsburgh has five games remaining and winning the AFC North is well within reach. It all begins in Week 14 when the team travels to play the Baltimore Ravens. It would be a great time to throw something at the division rival that maybe won't be expected. Freiermuth has not been involved as much as he or Rodgers would like, so it may be good for Smith to put together a game plan that heavily involves Freiermuth for once.

Do you think that the Steelers have failed Freiermuth during the 2025 season by not using him as much? Let us know in the comments below!

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