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Behind the Steel Curtain fantasy football takes on Pat Freiermuth

Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from Behind the Steel Curtain about Pat Freiermuth.

49
Insights
35
Positive
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Negative
Insight ledger

All Behind the Steel Curtain insights about Pat Freiermuth

PositiveProjectionOct 12, 2026
Freiermuth is on pace for 65 catches and 14 touchdowns, which would exceed his career high of seven touchdowns; he has experienced a resurgence in the Steelers' offense under the Mike McCarthy system, which has a track record of generating high-level production from tight ends. After his Week 5 performance, Freiermuth passed Bennie Cunningham for second place in Steelers franchise history in a statistical category, and the source credits his rebirth as a major benefit to the offense.
NegativeRoleOct 7, 2026
Freiermuth addressed locker room speculation following McCarthy's 'clean our own house' comments after the Steelers' 2-2 start. Freiermuth clarified that the message was not about internal dysfunction but rather a team-wide challenge to evaluate mistakes, improve communication, and correct details over the next four weeks until the bye week. Freiermuth emphasized 'Everything is good in the locker room' and that the team is 'working to win,' characterizing the focus as correction rather than division.
PositiveProjectionSep 26, 2026
Freiermuth is positioned for a big game against Cincinnati; the Bengals defense has struggled to contain tight ends early in the season (Dalton Schultz and Foster Moreau combined for 14 catches and 174 yards last week), and Freiermuth has averaged over 70 receiving yards in his last four games against the Bengals. Additionally, Freiermuth has been a much bigger part of the Pittsburgh offense in 2026 than in 2025, already logging a team-best nine receptions through two weeks.
NegativeRoleSep 23, 2026
The source questions whether Pat Freiermuth should have stayed in to block given free rushers in Rodgers' face on multiple plays. The Steelers trust Freiermuth to one-on-one block a defensive end, which the source notes "doesn't end well." On another play, Freiermuth turns upfield instead of crossing Rodgers' line of sight when he might have been an option. The source also notes Freiermuth falls down when Rodgers looks to throw on another play, preventing him from being available cutting inside.
PositiveRoleSep 13, 2026
Freiermuth was back to being the leader in the tight end room after 2025 saw a big step back in terms of his usage. The sixth-year tight end outsnapped newly extended Darnell Washington, while posting five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. After recording the second lowest receiving total of his career in 2025, Freiermuth seems to have new life in the Mike McCarthy offense, showing more willingness to take shots up the seam throughout training camp and preseason.
PositiveRoleAug 9, 2026
Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio stated the team will continue to 'push the envelope' with Freiermuth's usage, especially when the coaching staff recognizes opportunities to isolate him one-on-one against opposing defenders. Angelichio praised Freiermuth for controlling the middle of the field. The Steelers appear intent on expanding his role beyond last year's 41 receptions for 486 yards under former OC Arthur Smith, who favored both Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington. Under new coach Mike McCarthy, Freiermuth's combination of size, hands, and route-running ability could create matchup problems against linebackers and force safeties to account for him, potentially opening opportunities elsewhere in the passing game. If Pittsburgh consistently creates isolated opportunities for him between the numbers, he could become an even bigger component of the passing game.
PositiveProjectionJul 23, 2026
Freiermuth recorded 486 yards and four touchdowns in 2025 despite playing in all 17 games, marking the second-lowest receiving yardage total of his career. However, he was productive when targeted with a career-best 11.9 yards per reception, and just over half of his catches went for first downs. With Jonnu Smith out of the picture in 2026, Freiermuth should have an easier time claiming the role of the team's top receiving tight end. McCarthy helped jump-start the careers of both Dalton Schultz (808 yards in 2021) and Jake Ferguson (761 yards in 2023) during their time in Dallas, suggesting Freiermuth could see increased usage and a potential career resurgence.