Pat Freiermuth's Biggest Year: Steelers' No. 19 Player

PITTSBURGH — There’s no Pittsburgh Steelers player under more pressure to succeed in 2026 than tight end Pat Freiermuth. The organization's second-round draft pick in 2021 has gone from rising superstar to scapegoat all in the span of five years, and now he enters a make-or-break 2026 campaign.

Not only is Freiermuth trying to live up to the contract he signed in 2024, but he’s also trying to hold onto his spot on the Steelers’ roster. After the organization signed Darnell Washington to a shiny, new four-year deal, the stability he once felt has to be crumbling. With another disappointing campaign, how can the Steelers justify paying two tight ends a combined $25 million per season?

Luckily for the 27-year-old Freiermuth, he’s in a position to truly redeem himself. Under a new head coach and a new focus on the offensive side of the ball, Muth can return to being the team’s top pass-catching tight end and become a truly dependable target for the Steelers in 2026. That’s why he enters the season 19th on the team’s Top 25 most important players for this season.

Freiermuth Looking to Reset in 2026

After posting just 486 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2025, you'd be fair to have lower expectations for Freiermuth's 2026 campaign. The Steelers, however, are holding much higher hopes for the almost 28-year-old tight end.

While the exact schemes and tendencies will be revealed when the season begins, the Steelers will likely feature a pass-heavy attack with Aaron Rodgers trying to put together one more run to the Super Bowl. After a feeling-out period in 2025, Freiermuth is looking to reset and return to prominence in the Pittsburgh offense in 2026.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals safety Nick Scott (33) after a catch a in the first quarter of a Week 12 NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, at Paycor Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Freiermuth’s 2026 Expectations

Freiermuth might be the most important question to answer in this offense. With a pair of trustworthy running backs and a rebuilt wide receiver room, the missing ingredient to a balanced offensive attack is a pair of productive tight ends. Darnell Washington will bring some chunk plays and tons of blocking, but can Freiermuth return to being a pass-catching threat over the middle of the field?

If he does, the previous 650-yard tight end that Freiermuth was will return. An expectation of 60 receptions and at least 600 yards is the bare minimum.

If he continues on the path he started in 2025, however, things will keep getting worse. Washington will eat all of the tight end snaps, and there are plenty of young players on the depth chart chomping for more opportunity.

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