When you think of issues on offense for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the tight end position probably doesn’t rank very high. They have Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. Isn’t the key to unlocking the offense more about getting better quarterback and offensive line play?
Well, yes. But perhaps adding another tight end to mix could really help, too. At least, that’s what former NFL general manager (and UNC Football GM) Michael Lombardi thinks. Lombardi joined the Pat McAfee Show on Friday to talk about a host of topics, including helping build a football team. He talked about the role of the tight end and how having players with different skill sets can make an offense more versatile, as well as help each player perform to their potential. And Lombardi brought up Freiermuth during the discussion.
“The Steelers have Freiermuth,” said Lombardi. “He’s one of the few on-the-line Ys that can threaten the seam. So, if they had another motion guy to go along with the way Arthur Smith calls offenses, assuming they get a quarterback and all those things, now you’ve got an offense who can substitute without substituting.”
Now, as we saw in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense, Freiermuth isn’t strictly an on-the-line tight end. In 2024, he lined up in the slot, on the line, and even occasionally split out wide. Per Pro Football Focus, Freiermuth took 802 offensive snaps. He took the most in the slot at 337. But he was on the line for 299 snaps, only 38 fewer.
Going back to his rookie year, he spent the vast majority of his time on the line. But that hasn’t stopped him from attacking defenses vertically. In 2022, Freiermuth had his best season in terms of yardage and yards per reception. He had 63 catches for 732 yards, an average of 11.6 yards per catch. He also had his highest Average Depth Of Target, 8.3 yards. By that metric, Lombardi is completely correct. Freiermuth can line up on the line and still threaten defenses vertically. He may not be on Travis Kelce’s level as ESPN’s Brooke Pryor suggests he could be, but he’s shown the ability to be a quality tight end in his first four seasons.
Lombardi thinks that the Steelers’ offense (and Pat Freiermuth) could be even better by adding a more receiving-style tight end that can move around the formation even more than Freiermuth. We know that Smith loves to utilize multiple tight ends. Perhaps an athletic receiver in a tight end’s body would help boost the offensive production in 2025. Having more receiving threats helps spread a defense out. And more versatile tight ends on the field means the offense can shift focus without substituting players. That can help exploit issues on a defense and tire them out.
Yes, Lombardi acknowledges that the Steelers’ offense has to figure out the quarterback situation. But he thinks adding an athletic receiving tight end to the mix could really boost the offensive production, too.
