Pittsburgh Steelers and former Penn State football tight end Pat Freiermuth has high hopes for the coming 2025 season. He signed a four-year, $48.4 million contract extension at the end of the 2024-25 season and now has former Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to work with. Even with the addition of Jonnu Smith, Freiermuth has renewed energy and a positive attitude for the near future.
Freiermuth made it a point to emphasize the importance of OTAs for offensive players, getting reps in, and for Steelers, working with Rodgers. The former Nittany Lion, since getting drafted in 2021, has been consistent for Pittsburgh. Despite a lackluster 2023 season, Freiermuth posted 65 receptions for 653 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. He had an additional three catches for 15 yards against the Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
"I really like the tight end room," Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show at the end of June following OTAs. "[Freiermuth] is my locker roommate now, which is great . . . [He] is a super talented guy. He can do a lot of different things: He can block at the point of attack, he can split out and run routes, he can run choice routes, he can run seam routes."
Now with Rodgers under center, there's a new look to a previously unstable offense. Freiermuth knows the new possibilities he'll have with Rodgers with his decision-making, timing, accuracy, and confidence in the passing game. The former Penn State player and the other Pittsburgh tight ends will have more opportunities to get the ball and get the offense buzzing rather than be confined by hesitation. There's hope for Freiermuth to crack into a new level of his game beyond just being consistent.
"I think [Rodgers] is similar to Ben [Roethlisberger] in a way where like he’s going to trust you to where you’re going to be, and he’s going to throw you open," Freiermuth said on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. " . . . If he trusts you, he’s going to throw it to that spot and go let you make a play. I think that is what I’ve noticed a lot on film.”
Even with Smith joining the tight end room, Freiermuth isn't concerned for how his season may be affected. If anything, he's excited to have another talent to bounce off of.
"[Freiermuth] seemed to be really in high spirits," Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. "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 [with] a young dude that you might be able to keep here for a while. I'm sure [Rodgers is] really excited about it."
Tight ends should be used more in the Steelers' offense in 2025-26, especially with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith looking to run more of his preferred schemes. That means Freiermuth, Smith, and Darnell Washington will see the field more often. The combination of the Smith and Rodgers will open doors for the former Nittany Lion regardless of who is in that tight end room.