The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 regular season is rapidly approaching as the preseason has wrapped up. There is massive anticipation to see what changes are brought about given the organization taking an aggressive approach in free agency, on top of the regime change by bringing in new head coach Mike McCarthy. He will have a familiar face on his roster, as he is reunited with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They will have their work cut out for them, as they look to lead a drastic offensive turnaround.
Jordan Perez / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers stands with Head Coach Mike McCarthy during training camp ahead of the 2026 season.
One thing that McCarthy is well known for is wanting as many weapons at his disposal as possible on offense. On paper, the Black and Gold have that following the offseason trade for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and the drafting of wide receiver Germie Bernard to help take some attention off of DK Metcalf. Another weapon they could have at their disposal is tight end Pat Freiermuth, who the team is reportedly ready to push the envelope with.
In August, the Deebo & Joe show with former Steelers defenders James Harrison and Joe Haden, took a trip up to training camp for a live episode. During the show, they took the time to sit down with Freiermuth and discuss the offseason, as well as some things he and the team are doing to prepare for the upcoming season. He praised his veteran quarterback about what they have been doing thus far.
“100% that’s the coolest part,” Freiermuth said. “I mean as a guy that has been in the league, for 20-plus years now, on his off-day, that’s probably the last thing he wants -- host people over his house. But he hosts the whole offense over, he gets us food, we watch film with him. He sees what we are thinking. It’s cool to see how you can change how you watch film for a Hall of Fame quarterback.”
This revelation of the team getting together at their quarterback's house on his off-days shows that they are focused on taking strides towards improvement in the 2026 season. The Pittsburgh tight end was given a contract extension of four years for $48.4 million in September of 2024. However, there have been many times where he is not on the field in critical moments -- especially during the 2025 season.
Steelers Already Have Internal Offensive Weapon In Freiermuth
The speculation is out there as to why the veteran tight end seemingly went absent at times. Some of that speculation includes the accusation that former Black and Gold offensive coordinator Arthur Smith refused to use him more in the offense. However, as is for many other players with McCarthy and the new regime, this is a chance to turn over a new leaf in 2026.
In Week 7 of the 2025 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, Freiermuth was Rodgers' favorite target, as the tight end went off during a road game. In that contest, he had five receptions for 111 yards, and added two touchdowns. While the Steelers ultimately ended up losing that game, they saw a breakout performance from their veteran tight end. Following his comments on Monday, it appears that there may be a new outlook and fresh philosophy on how he could be used and what his production could look like in the upcoming NFL season.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth had a career game against the Cincinnati Bengals which helped the offense great big plays down the middle of the field.
These comments from the tight end seem to reveal a renewed comradery between Rodgers and his skill players on offense for the 2026 season. Building those relationships up and that trust right now could go a long way in improving an offense that ranked 25th in the NFL in total offense in 2025. While the quarterback seems to be all in for his final season, Freiermuth could finally get the chance to have a breakout year for him as a security blanket in the upcoming year.
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