Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Faces Brutal News About His Role With Mike McCarthy's Offense In 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has always been expected to be great. He started his career as a productive rookie, but has struggled to consistently get the targets he needs to succeed. Fans love him and believe in his talent, but many feel he has been limited in his role within the offense. Despite flashes of strong production, he has yet to fully break out into a consistent focal point in the passing game, which has raised questions about how he is being utilized.

Now, with a new coaching staff in town led by Mike McCarthy, many expect Freiermuth to have a better 2026 season and see an increase in targets. This expectation is based on the belief that McCarthy favors utilizing tight ends like Freiermuth in his offensive schemes. If that proves true, Freiermuth could be positioned for a larger workload and more opportunities to impact games in both the red zone and intermediate passing game. Still, how quickly he is integrated into the new offense will likely depend on how the system develops during the offseason and early part of the season.

However, former NFL general manager Doug Whaley appeared on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday and shared with Dorin Dickerson why he believes McCarthy may have revealed something about the team’s offensive plans that is not good news for Freiermuth. Whaley suggested that Darnell Washington will play a more impactful role in the offense, especially based on McCarthy’s recent comments about big receivers. That's why Dickerson asked Whaley if Kenyon Sadiq truly could be an option for Omar Khan at 21. Whaley instead flipped that question into why Washington will outshine Freiermuth once again in 2026.

"I can definitely understand what you are thinking because one when I unpack it, Mount Washington I think from what he is saying is probably a little more valuable than Freiermuth because what he is saying is, you need to be nasty in the first and second down runs, so he will be that blocking tight end," Whaley said to Dickerson. "He also can give them something in the passing game. Freiermuth isn’t going to be devalued, but I just believe they will put Washington out there earlier."

If that holds true, it could lead to a more balanced or shared tight end rotation rather than Freiermuth being the clear top option. That potential shift may ultimately affect both his target share and overall production heading into the 2026 season. 

Now, why is this exactly brutal if Whaley is saying Freiermuth’s value is not going to be devalued? Well, in the 2025 season, it was when Jonnu Smith was still in town, but he has since left, along with Connor Heyward in free agency. Now the Steelers are trying to decide how to split the target share and whether they already have the right personnel in their tight end room. They could certainly use a big-bodied tight end/receiver like Sadiq.

Steelers May Not Use Pat Freiermuth Enough Once Again In 2026

However, in the 2025 season, Freiermuth received fewer opportunities because of what Washington was able to do both as a blocker and as a pass catcher. From the sounds of it, Whaley believes that could happen again, which would not be great for those hoping Freiermuth sees an increased role in 2026.

Freiermuth finished with 41 catches for 486 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the 2025 season. It often felt like every time Aaron Rodgers targeted him, he made something productive happen. However, it was difficult to get him consistently involved in Arthur Smith’s system. Now Steelers fans are left wondering how he will fit into McCarthy’s plan.

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