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Proof Pittsburgh Views Pat Freiermuth As A Backup

Published

4 months ago

December 3, 2025

Proof Pittsburgh Views Pat Freiermuth As A Backup

It’s no secret that TE Pat Freiermuth has struggled to find time in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lineup. Even in Arthur Smith’s tight end-heavy world, Freiermuth has drawn the short straw. That proof exists in plenty of places, but perhaps no moment is so obvious as the end of Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.

After a Bills’ field goal to make it 26-7, the Steelers’ offense took the field for three final snaps. Meaningless and uneventful. Two runs by rookie RB Kaleb Johnson, one incompletion by QB Mason Rudolph. Everyone simply ran out the clock.

Pittsburgh knew it, too. The Steelers pulled key starters and played as many backups as they could. Those removed? QB Aaron Rodgers, WR DK Metcalf, RB Jaylen Warren, RB Kenneth Gainwell, TE Darnell Washington, and OG Isaac Seumalo. Most of the offensive line stayed in only because there are only so many players who can be pulled along with LT Andrus Peat making his first start of the year. It’s also still largely a young group that could use reps – especially on a night in which Pittsburgh ran just 43 plays.

The tight end who took the field? Pat Freiermuth.

Pittsburgh used him instead of Washington. Instead of Jonnu Smith, who continues to out-snap him. And so three of Freiermuth’s measly 17 total snaps took place with the game over. He played alongside other backups getting mop-up time like Johnson, WR Ke’Shawn Williams, and Spencer Anderson, playing true guard in relief of Seumalo. You’ve heard of stat padding. This was snap padding.

That signal is loud and clear. Freiermuth is a backup.

It’s far from the only one. Freiermuth has played half or fewer than half of the offensive snaps in each of the last six games, including Sunday. He has logged more than 50 percent only twice – Week 3 against New England and Week 7 against Cincinnati. By percentage, seven of his lowest nine snap counts of his now five-year career have come in 2025. The other two occurred during his rookie season. Compare that to Smith, who has played more than half the snaps in nine games this year. That’s still more than Darnell Washington, who has only breached 50 percent seven times.

In his last four games, Freiermuth has just seven total targets. He did not receive one against the Bills. To put that in perspective, here’s a list of players around the NFL with more targets over that span: TE Jeremy Ruckert, WR Mason Tipton, WR Gabe Davis, WR Austin Trammel, TE Michael Mayer, and WR David Sills V. Seven of Freiermuth’s teammates, including Washington and Smith, have received more targets.

Washington emerging as the starting tight end is smart. It was an overdue move, and Pittsburgh has smartly course-corrected. That’s not the issue. But Freiermuth playing behind Smith is confounding. Even knowing it’s not Freiermuth’s strength, Smith is not the better run blocker. Smith and Rodgers have zero chemistry and haven’t been on the same page all year. Freiermuth is younger with better hands and, on paper, a longer-term outlook.

Arthur Smith has a long history with Smith and was a driver in the Steelers trading for him in June. But he worked with Freiermuth all last season and the results are the results. Smith isn’t getting the job done.

Mike Tomlin has touted Freiermuth’s big game against Cincinnati when pressed as to why he hasn’t been more involved. But that was the only loud game of the season. He has been held to no more than three receptions and 33 yards in all the other 11 contests.

“We’ve got a lot of capable guys that we have a lot of confidence in,” Tomlin said during Tuesday’s press conference. “Pat is certainly one of them. The ball didn’t bounce his way a week ago, but certainly, he’s a viable option for us and one that’s strongly considered as we work this week.”

Credit to Freiermuth. He’s been a great teammate in what has unquestionably been a difficult season. He has emerged as a leader in the tight end room and a member of the Pittsburgh community. Freiermuth opened his foundation and was named the team’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship nominee. He hasn’t publicly complained once about role or playing time.

But even as the entire team, players and coaches, repeat the need to give him the football, it’s clear the Steelers have little appetite. He is the third-string tight end. That should change, that needs to change, but Sunday’s late-game actions spoke with crystal clarity.

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A.J. Hawk Shares Aaron Rodgers Texts About Steelers

Published

2 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

A.J. Hawk Shares Aaron Rodgers Texts About Steelers

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers still do not have a starting quarterback for the 2026 season.

As the Steelers make their preparations for the 2026 NFL Draft, they are waiting on the decision of Aaron Rodgers. The 42-year-old is still debating whether or not to return for a 22nd NFL campaign, and the Steelers are caught in the middle.

Rodgers and the organization have to make progress in order to get him to return for 2026, but that isn’t stopping his former teammates from encouraging him to come back. That includes one of his Green Bay Packers teammates and member of The Pat McAfee Show, A.J. Hawk. The former Packers linebacker said on a recent episode that he’s been encouraging Rodgers, unsuccessfully, to return to Pittsburgh for one more year under new head coach Mike McCarthy.

“No joke, I’ve been sending him texts,” he said. “Telling him, ‘Hey, Aaron you gotta go back, you need to go play for Pittsburgh, you need to play for Big Mike.’ He’ll either say ‘shut up,’ or nothing.”

Steelers Keep Waiting

While the answer is not quite what the Steelers wanted to hear, they continue to wait for Rodgers to make a call. At this point, it’s clear that it’s Pittsburgh or retirement for him, but he’s taking his time deciding.

If he can replicate 2025, it’s hard to envision why he wouldn’t want to return. Even in a much less mobile version of himself, Rodgers managed to collect 3,337 passing yards, throwing for 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. With McCarthy’s focus on offensive now in charge, the idea is that life would be easier for the veteran QB in this new-look Steelers offense.

In the meantime, the Steelers have made no backup plans as they have just Will Howard and Mason Rudolph under contract for 2026. It’s Rodgers or nothing for Pittsburgh, just as it’s Pittsburgh or nothing for Rodgers.

Jul 31, 2025; Canton, Ohio, USA; Green Bay Packers former linebacker A.J. Hawk is interviewed by ESPN television personality Pat McAfee (not pictured) live outside of of the Professional Football Hall of Fame before the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers play at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Hawk and Rodgers’ Bond Goes Way Back

The relationship between Hawk and Rodgers goes back 20 years. The two played together for nine seasons in Green Bay from 2006 to 2014, highlighted by their Super Bowl championship in 2011.

In the decade since being teammates, the two have remainded close friends. Rodgers has been a frequent guest on The Pat McAfee Show as well since the program’s debut, giving the duo even more time to rehash the glory days.

Still, it hasn’t been enough for Hawk to persuade Rodgers’ decision making. There’s no one who can impress upon the future Hall of Fame quarterback, who marches to the beat of his own drum own his own time.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers Made a Splash in Free Agency

Published

14 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

The Pittsburgh Steelers Made a Splash in Free Agency

The first week of NFL free agency has passed, and Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan did not hesitate to get to work.

Big Acquisitions for Pittsburgh

Within an hour of the “legal tampering window” opening on March 9, Khan struck a deal with the Indianapolis Colts to bring wide receiver Michael Pittman to Pittsburgh. The two teams also swapped late-round picks. As part of the deal, Pittman reworked his deal to a three-year, $59 million contract. This is a move that lowers his cap hit for the upcoming season.

Hours after bringing in Pittman, the first signing was agreed to. Jamel Dean, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, agreed to a three-year, $36.75 million contract. Later the same day, Pittsburgh finalized a two-year, $12.25 million deal with Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle.

The following day, former Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker inked a one-year, $5.5 million deal to join the Steelers. Defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, previously with the Titans, later signed a two-year deal worth $11 million.

How Do These Additions Help the Steelers?

Bringing in a player like Pittman gives the Steelers the second receiving option that they have needed for the last two seasons.

Pittsburgh has been searching for a second great receiver since trading Diontae Johnson in 2023. It seemed like they had found that number two last offseason after acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. However, the Steelers later traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, leaving them in the same situation.

Pittman provides another weapon for Mike McCarthy’s offense that the defense will need to scheme around. Rather than having to worry about guys like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, defenses will now have to adjust for Metcalf and Pittman. This proves a stark upgrade from statistically one of the worst receivers at getting open last season.

Sticking with the offense, the signing of Rico Dowdle secures a replacement for 2025 Team MVP Kenneth Gainwell.

Pittsburgh began the search for Gainwell’s replacement after he left for the beaches of Tampa. Dowdle is coming off his second career 1000-yard season, also running for a career-high six touchdowns. Bringing in Dowdle allows the Steelers to continue the split-backfield they ran last season with Gainwell and Jaylen Warren.

Defensively, adding Dean and Brisker bolsters a secondary that was toward the bottom of the league in pass defense last season.

Dean brings consistent play across from young star Joey Porter Jr. When he’s healthy, Dean can play up to the level of other top corners across the league. Brisker will almost certainly be a starter from day one at safety, allowing Jalen Ramsey, who switched to safety in the middle of last season, to transition back to cornerback.

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ICE agents being deployed to Pittsburgh International Airport to assist with TSA operations

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

ICE agents being deployed to Pittsburgh International Airport to assist with TSA operations

March 23, 2026 / 9:35 AM EDT
/ CBS Pittsburgh

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are expected to arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday to assist with Transportation Security Administration operations.

A spokesperson for the Allegheny County Airport Authority said that ICE agents are expected to be deployed at Pittsburgh International on Monday. There’s no timeframe on when they’re expected to arrive.

The Airport Authority previously said it was aware of ICE agents being deployed at airports across the country and that it remains in close contact with federal partners at TSA as well as with local law enforcement and the Allegheny County Police Department.

“Safety and security are always the top priority at airports around the country,” the authority said. “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and stay in contact with our law enforcement partners. How federal agencies operate is not something that any airport, including ACAA controls. Any further questions about federal agencies’ operations should be directed to those agencies.”

President Trump said over the weekend that ICE agents will assist TSA agents at airports this week as delays and security staffing shortages continue to worsen amid a stalemate in Congress over how to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

Security wait times at Pittsburgh International have remained consistent in recent days and weeks with most wait times under 15 minutes.