With several different options emerging from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end room this season, Pat Freiermuth found it hard to make an impact through the first five games. During that stretch, he had only a handful of receptions and 76 yards to his name.
That changed in a big way against the Cincinnati Bengals last Thursday. Freiermuth broke out with a clutch two-touchdown performance. However, something Aaron Rodgers is most impressed by is Freiermuth’s mindset despite his lack of targets.
“I’m proud of Pat,” Rodgers said Wednesday via Steelers.com. “If you’re not getting targets, and you’re a high-money guy, and you want to be an impact on gameday, it’s got to be tough on the psyche, the confidence. But Pat never [complained] about anything. He was never making it about him. And I think there’s a lot to be said about that in this day and age.”
Freiermuth signed a four-year extension ahead of the 2024 season, and with Rodgers now in town, he was expected to be one of the top receiving options. Despite that not happening through the first five games, he remained resilient. Before his breakout game on Thursday, he wasn’t shy about his unwavering confidence in the coaching staff and their plan.
It came to fruition in Cincinnati. His first touchdown came when the Steelers badly needed it, scoring on a seam route up the middle with a nice layered throw from Rodgers.
His second was even more impressive. Freiermuth ran the same route, but worked back as Rodgers was scrambling, then caught the ball and ran about 35 yards into the end zone to give the Steelers a late lead. It could have been the game-winning touchdown if the defense had managed to come up with a stop.
It culminated in a five-reception, 111-yard performance with those two scores. It was Freiermuth’s turn to break out last week, and according to Rodgers, that role can change weekly.
“It’s kind of been a different guy every week,” Rodgers said. “DK obviously had a big game against the Vikings. And Pat comes back last week and had a huge game. So it’s different guys every week.”
It really has been something of a rotating cast. Freiermuth broke out and carried the offense for a decent portion of Thursday’s game. In Dublin, DK Metcalf and his 80-yard touchdown led the way. And a couple of weeks ago, against Cleveland, we even saw Darnell Washington come up with 62 receiving yards.
While the Steelers have been rumored to be in the market for a receiver, they aren’t short on options. They could definitely use some more talent, but Rodgers has his favorites already. Pat Freiermuth is clearly one of them, but far from the only. With him, DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III and the rest of the tight end room, the Steelers may have enough pass catchers already.
