Steelers Tight Ends Get Brutal News About Their Involvement In The Offense

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through a full franchise revamp. It isn't a rebuild, but the team is addressing some glaring issues that have kept it from the big stage and without a playoff win in nearly a decade. After the now-former Head Coach Mike Tomlin stepped in down post-Wild Card loss, the Steelers pivoted to the city's own Mike McCarthy to take on the job. Now, the Black and Gold will have its first offensive-minded head coach in decades, and the switch leads many to believe that the Steelers will finally have a more efficient offense.

With a new head coach and staff, along with a new philosophy, the only thing left to address is the roster construction. The front office made sure that its offense was much more loaded than in 2025. With the addition of veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Rico Dowdle, the organization did not shy away from adding high-quality talent to the offense. With a combination of veteran and young talent on the offense, the unit should be in a prime position to improve upon last year's underwhelming numbers. 

The one position group that does have some uncertainty, though, is the tight end room. With two extremely talented players, who are now both under big contracts, the Steelers need to be sure that they get the opportunities that they deserve. The tight ends were not utilized enough under the previous regime's offense, and that needs to change moving forward. 

With the gigantic Darnell Washington signing a four-year, $42 million contract extension, the Steelers have a pretty penny invested there. Their usage needs to reflect that money spent, but Steelers beat reporter Mike DeFabo revealed that under McCarthy's offense, this might be tricky. DeFabo spoke on 105.9 The X. 

"They're probably going to be in 11 personnel with one tight end around 65%-75% of the snaps, based on the way that McCarthy has done things in the past," DeFabo said. 

This isn't great news because of the sheer amount of money the Steelers have awarded their tight ends. Many fans found themselves extremely frustrated at the poor use of tight ends in the old offense. Now, things may not be changing. 

With Washington improving each year as a receiver, it would only make sense that he would have a more expanded role within the offense. He's extremely difficult to bring down with his 6'7" and nearly 300-pound frame. He'd be a premier option in many offenses, but the Steelers have yet to play him to his full potential. Clearly, the Steelers brass sees that potential based on the contract, but how will he become all that he could be when he is used primarily as a run blocker? 

Another issue is how Pat Freiermuth has been utilized. In previous years, he was catching 60+ passes a season, but last year he only caught 41 passes. While many can blame the scheme, the schematics of McCarthy's offense point to only one tight end being used at a time. It's unclear how these snaps will be split between the two, but it will only hinder their individual production. 

Steelers Can't Afford To Not Involve Tight Ends

McCarthy, while being on the older side for an NFL head coach, has proven that he's willing to evolve and adapt with the times. With this roster, he needs to ensure that he involves some two-tight-end sets where Freiermuth and Washington can make defenses scramble. 

The two are far too valuable to have on the bench. Washington, being able to rumble and drag defenders with him, and Freiermuth finding soft spots in zone defense and exposing the middle of the field would only make too much sense. 

This season will prove vital to see how the Steelers plan to use their tight ends moving forward. But making sure they're used is important, especially with the money invested in the position. 

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