The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-1, and the offense is finding its stride. But there’s more work to do. For former Steelers DL Chris Hoke, that means getting TE Pat Freiermuth the football. Offering his overview of the team through the first month, Hoke wants Freiermuth to earn his paycheck.
“They’re paying those guys too much money,” Hoke said on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday. “I mean, they’re paying Freiermuth, I think $10 million a year. So they gotta get him in the game. Him to play what, 15-16 percent of the snaps. Freiermuth’s not gonna be happy. So they’ve gotta find a way to get him involved in the offense.”
Freiermuth was hard to find during the Steelers’ Dublin win. He logged just 15 offensive snaps, his fewest in his NFL career. As was just his 28 percent of the snap count (Hoke undercounted by a little bit). He failed to receive a target, let alone catch a pass, as TE Darnell Washington dominated the playing time and OL Spencer Anderson saw considerable work as a tackle-eligible.
Though his snaps haven’t been that low all season, Freiermuth’s production has been weak. He has just seven receptions all season, and few have been impactful. After moving the sticks on three receptions in the season opener, Freiermuth has hardly registered. His most notable moment since was losing out on a potential touchdown catch in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks when WR Calvin Austin III stepped in front of a pass targeted for him.
With Austin potentially sidelined for Week 6 and beyond, Hoke thinks the offensive focus will shift back to the tight ends.
“I think they’ll try to find a way to, you know, get Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith the ball more,” he said.
Smith has more receptions, but hardly more production. He’s averaging just 5.1 yards per reception on 12 catches. To put that in perspective, nine different NFL players have a higher yards per carry than Smith does per reception. Despite playing for the most tight-end-heavy coordinator in football, the collective pass game impact of Freiermuth, Smith, and even Washington has been muted. The target share has been concentrated on WR DK Metcalf, Austin, and the running backs. The backup wide receivers and tight ends haven’t had the same chances.
Week 7 could be Freiermuth’s chance to turn the season around. He’s historically had success against the Cincinnati Bengals. In eight career games, he’s notched 40 receptions for 489 yards and four touchdowns. Last year, he registered 14 receptions for over 140 yards and two touchdowns in two outings against them. That matchup could jumpstart his season, though, given the contract Hoke rightly points out, his production must increase from the occasional big performance.
