Will Pat Freiermuth’s production suffer due to Jonnu Smith’s acquisition?
The Steelers paid Pat Freiermuth last year, and he rewarded them, but how will Jonnu Smith affect his future output? While Smith isn’t likely a long-term investment, he is coming off a Pro Bowl season. Even as an outlier in his career, he put up numbers representing opportunity.
On 111 targets, Smith caught 88 passes last year for 884 yards and 8 touchdowns. In each category, that betters the best number Pat Freiermuth has put up in his career. And the Steelers didn’t bring in Smith to sit on the bench, or to block. But they also don’t have proven depth at wide receiver.
Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have the reputation of being some tight end whisperer, but he works with what he has. With Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington, he has the best tight end room in his career. He may well also have his worst wide receiver room, at least short of DK Metcalf.
If both Freiermuth and Smith are among the top three or four targets on any given pass play, then they can both still produce. And there are some things Freiermuth might do better than Smith, and vice versa. I mean, we’re talking about a team whose second highest-paid receiver is Ben Skowronek, after all.
And let’s not forget, Pat Freiermuth put up strong numbers last season with a relatively low-volume usage rate. Despite 448 routes run, he only drew 78 targets all year. Those usage numbers compare more to Tucker Kraft and Cade Otton than Trey McBride or…well, Jonnu Smith. Smith drew 111 targets on 454 routes run, in comparison.
I suppose the real question is, will Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith be the Steelers’ No. 2 and 3 targets? They’re paying them as if they are, so if they’re not, it would be a waste of money. Freiermuth is the guy they have a long-term investment in, though.
The Steelers signed Freiermuth to a four-year, $48.4 million extension last year. Technically, 2025 is the first year of that extension, with a $10,785,000 base salary. They are paying him in the ballpark of $10 million per year through the 2028 season, though there is no guaranteed money remaining.
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.
But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. At least we can finally put the Aaron Rodgers situation to bed and move on to other things. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
