After Pat Freiermuth put up arguably his best season, the Steelers traded for Pro Bowl TE Jonnu Smith—what now? That’s how many feel Freiermuth might be reacting right now, but that’s not what he told Ben Roethlisberger. On his Footbahlin podcast, the former Steelers quarterback provided a little insight into the fifth-year tight end’s mindset.
“I did text Pat when it happened”, Roethlisberger said, referring to the Jonnu Smith trade. “He seemed to be really in high spirits. He was excited. He goes, ‘I think the two of us can really do some cool things’. I think that’ll be interesting to see how that transpires. And a young dude that you might be able to keep here for a while”.
The Steelers selected Pat Freiermuth in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Last year, they signed him to a four-year, $48.4 million extension. They did so despite a disappointing 2023 season, but he proved his worth last year. On just 78 targets, he caught 65 passes for 653 yards and seven touchdowns.
But with Freiermuth the Steelers now have Jonnu Smith, who caught 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Granted, they aren’t likely expecting Smith to duplicate those numbers here, which are an aberration in his career. But it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether a starter has concerns about the team adding another top dog to his room.
On the surface, Pat Freiermuth always appears to be a low-key, laid-back guy who takes things as they come. Perhaps that is an accurate description, but he takes his job seriously, and his shortcomings even more so. In fact, he has talked about the role Roethlisberger has played in helping him move on from bad plays.
Freiermuth and Roethlisberger forged a tight bond, despite having only played one season together. The now-retired quarterback has publicly expressed regret that he didn’t get more time with him. The closest thing the Steelers have had to Heath Miller, Freiermuth thrived even as a rookie with Roethlisberger. He caught seven touchdown passes that year and hadn’t come close to matching that again until 2024.
But just as Freiermuth seemed to find a niche in Arthur Smith’s offense, in comes Jonnu Smith—a Smith player. Even Roethlisberger called the acquisition a big one—even bigger than Jalen Ramsey. Jonnu has played for Arthur in multiple cities in multiple different roles. But instead, what Freiermuth is thinking about is the possibilities with both of them on the field.
The Steelers used extra tight ends last season basically more than anyone. With Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington, that should only increase in 2025. Arthur Smith also expects to run more of his preferred offense—which means more tight ends. And without a robust wide receiver group, that also means more passing targets for the big guys.
So perhaps there is no real reason for Freiermuth to feel threatened by Smith. After all, there are five eligibles on every play anyway, regardless of what position they play. And with Smith on the field, it may help Freiermuth pick up more favorable matchups. And Aaron Rodgers likes to throw touchdown passes, so I don’t think that will be too big of a problem.
