Pat Freiermuth

Pittsburgh Steelers
Tight End #88
FANTASY NEWS STATS INJURY

Pat Freiermuth News RotoBaller

Pat Freiermuth Facing More Competition for Targets

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth no longer has the top spot to himself on the team's depth chart. Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are now listed together with the first team after Washington spent August behind him. That isn't great news for a player who already saw his volume fall last season. Freiermuth went from 78 targets, 65 catches and seven touchdowns in 2024 to 54 targets, 41 catches and four scores a year ago. Washington was more involved at the same time, posting career highs with 31 receptions and 364 yards, and Pittsburgh gave him a new five-year contract in June. The competition doesn't stop there. Michael Pittman Jr. was added alongside DK Metcalf, while second-round rookie Germie Bernard gives Aaron Rodgers another receiver to work with. Freiermuth will still have a role, and Pittsburgh can get both tight ends on the field together. Finding steady targets every week looks tougher, though. He is better treated as a touchdown-dependent TE2 until we see how this passing game shakes out.

Sep 11, 2026 8:07 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth Not Worth Chasing Before Week 1

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is still easy to find on waiver wires, but Week 1 is not the spot to get cute. He caught 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets last season, and while Jonnu Smith is gone, Pittsburgh added Michael Pittman Jr. to a group that already includes DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson. Freiermuth is still the starting tight end, so there is at least a path to more work than he saw in 2025. The matchup is the problem. Atlanta allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends last season, and the current Week 1 rankings have Freiermuth at TE25. He is rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues and is best viewed as a 14-team option for now. In a 10- or 12-team league, there are better tight ends to chase before Sunday.

Sep 8, 2026 11:21 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth Has More Receiving Work Up for Grabs

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth should have a little more room to operate after spending last season stuck in a crowded rotation. Freiermuth played just over half of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps and saw 54 targets, the exact same number as Jonnu Smith. Smith is gone now after being released in March, leaving Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Robert Tonyan in the tight end room. That doesn't mean Washington disappears. He actually played slightly more snaps than Freiermuth last season and should remain heavily involved, especially as a blocker. There is still less competition than a year ago, when Freiermuth fell to 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns after posting a 65-653-7 line in 2024. He also showed some early chemistry with Aaron Rodgers this summer, including a 23-yard touchdown during a two-minute drill in camp. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will command plenty of targets, but Smith's departure gives Freiermuth a better chance to stay on the field and get back into the TE2 conversation.

Sep 5, 2026 10:31 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth Gearing Up for Bounce-Back 2026 Season

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is earning his starting spot on the depth chart with a heavy practice load to round out the preseason. According to Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot, Freiermuth ranked third on the team in targets (13) and tied for second-most receptions (11) through seven preseason practices. The sixth-year veteran is coming off a disappointing 2025 season when his pass-catching abilities were tempered by former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and he logged just 41 receptions for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Fellow tight end Darnell Washington has caught more targets during preseason play, but the heavy practice load suggests Freiermuth will be Aaron Rodgers' preferred third-down target. Freiermuth should be viewed as a late-round or streaming TE with upside.

Aug 24, 2026 7:32 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Catches One Pass in Preseason Opener

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a quiet preseason opener in Thursday night's win over the Green Bay Packers, catching his only target for a two-yard gain in the 28-9 victory. Freiermuth didn't do much on offense on a night in which the Steelers rested veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers and top wide receivers DK Metcalf (undisclosed) and Michael Pittman Jr. (leg). His lone reception came near the goal line on a fourth-down pass from backup QB Mason Rudolph. The 27-year-old was a sleeper target at the TE position last year, but he never panned out, catching 41 of his 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his fifth year in the NFL. Jonnu Smith and pass-catching running back Kenny Gainwell left town in the offseason, but the addition of Pittman to new head coach Mike McCarthy's offense will most likely continue to keep Freiermuth's fantasy ceiling pretty low. With Rodgers running Pittsburgh's offense for one more year, fantasy managers should treat Freiermuth as a low-end TE2 option who is dependent on finding the end zone.

Aug 14, 2026 8:15 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth Worth a Look Late in Redraft Leagues

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is coming off a disappointing season, but there is at least a path back to usable fantasy production. He caught 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 2025, well below the 65 catches, 653 yards, and seven scores he posted the year before. Jonnu Smith is gone after drawing 38 receptions last season, and Freiermuth said during the spring that he expects his role to grow in Mike McCarthy's offense. Aaron Rodgers is also back, and the two connected for a 25-yard touchdown during the fourth practice of training camp. None of that makes Freiermuth a breakout pick. Darnell Washington earned a new five-year contract after setting career highs with 31 catches and 364 yards, while Michael Pittman Jr. joins DK Metcalf as another established target. RotoBaller ranks Freiermuth as the TE23 in redraft and TE36 in dynasty. That makes sense. He is worth a late look for managers who wait at tight end, but the volume is too uncertain to treat him as more than a TE2. In dynasty, he is closer to a hold or modest sell than a player worth aggressively buying.

Aug 2, 2026 10:50 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth Could Have a Bigger Role for Steelers in 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth could have an expanded role in 2026 in his sixth year with the organization in new head coach Mike McCarthy's offense, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Freiermuth took a step back in 2025 in the Steel City in the first year with veteran QB Aaron Rodgers running the offense, and he had to share valuable targets with both Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington, which led to a disappointing 41-486-4 line in 17 regular-season games (eight starts) for fantasy managers. The Steelers added veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who figures to be a big part of the Steelers' passing attack this year, but Smith and running back Kenneth Gainwell, who had a career-high 73 receptions in 2025, are gone. With all that said, fantasy managers still probably shouldn't consider Freiermuth as much more than a low-end TE2 target in TE-premium leagues. The former second-rounder in 2021 out of Penn State has never exceeded 732 receiving yards or seven touchdowns in his five seasons, and Rodgers hasn't typically relied heavily on the tight end position in his Hall of Fame career.

Jul 17, 2026 5:14 PM EST

Should Dynasty Managers Be Looking to Sell Pat Freiermuth?

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth saw his numbers decline across the board in 2025, as he finished the season with 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets across 17 games (eight starts). After finishing as the TE13 by per-game PPR scoring in 2024, Freiermuth slipped down to TE32 by the same measure in 2025. Freiermuth could see a target boost in 2026 following the departure of former Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith in free agency. However, Pittsburgh signed tight end Darnell Washington to a lucrative contract extension and also brought in a high-volume target earner in wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. In dynasty formats, Freiermuth profiles as a sell candidate ahead of what could be another year of production decline.

Jul 8, 2026 10:21 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth's Role in Pittsburgh Set to Shrink Again in 2026?

Across 17 (eight starts) games in 2025, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth recorded 41 catches for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets. The 27-year-old's final line represented a production decline from his 2024 performance, when he hauled in 65 receptions for 653 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 targets. His drop-off was partially due to the Steelers addition of tight end Jonnu Smith, who is no longer on the Pittsburgh roster heading into 2026. However, Freiermuth also lost playing time to Steelers blocking tight end Darnell Washington. Pittsburgh signed Washington to a four-year, $42 million extension in early June, which could be a sign that the team is planning to expand his role. The Steelers also traded for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. earlier this spring, who could soak up most of Freiermuth's targets in the intermediate area of the field. Even though Freiermuth is coming off an underwhelming season, dynasty managers may want to consider selling him ahead of what could be another decline in performance in 2026.

Jun 14, 2026 11:48 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth a Bounce-Back Candidate in New System

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a frustrating 2025 season, catching just 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns en route to ranking as the overall TE25 in PPR leagues. There's some uncertainty about his future outlook, but the good news is that the Steelers have a new coaching staff in place, and they didn't bring in anyone to compete with Freiermuth. He's clearly the top option on the depth chart, ahead of players like Darnell Washington and rookie Riley Nowakowski. The bad news, on the other hand, is that in Mike McCarthy's last season as a head coach (2024), Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was the TE25. In the Cowboys' first year without McCarthy, he soared to TE5. So while we're encouraged that the Steelers' coaching staff change -- plus the anticipated return of dependable passer Aaron Rodgers -- could be good for Freiermuth, we also acknowledge that McCarthy doesn't have the greatest short-term track record with the position. The 27-year-old should bounce back this year, but the exact magnitude of his progression is unknown. We're not ready to bank on him being a TE1 in fantasy football.

May 7, 2026 7:16 AM EST

Can Pat Freiermuth Become More Than a Depth Piece Again?

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth finished his second season as the TE8 and was widely viewed as a top five dynasty player at the position. In the years since, injuries and inconsistent play from both him and his quarterbacks have led him to finish as the TE24 or lower in two of his last three seasons. His 5.7 Half-PPR points per game in 2025 marked a career-low on a Steelers team with scarcely any target competition. Only two wide receivers on the team saw more than 25 targets, creating an environment for tight ends and running backs to thrive in the passing game, but most of the heavy lifting was done by Kenneth Gainwell, while the distribution of looks among tight ends was split nearly evenly between Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington. Neither Gainwell nor Smith are back with the team in 2026, but the Steelers did acquire Michael Pittman Jr. via trade, and he has not earned fewer than 106 targets since 2020. The quarterback situation remains unsettled, with Pittsburgh backed into a corner: either running things back with a now-42-year-old Aaron Rodgers or turning the huddle over to Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, or an as-yet-unknown rookie. Pittsburgh's offense could ultimately go in any number of directions under new head coach Mike McCarthy, but it seems unlikely that Freiermuth will suddenly emerge as a focal point after averaging 6.5 fantasy points per game over the past three seasons.

Apr 15, 2026 5:32 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth Should Have More Volume, but QB Situation Still a Mystery

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth's dynasty/keeper fantasy value is on the rise with Jonnu Smith no longer in town, but there's also the looming question this offseason surrounding the team's quarterback situation. Freiermuth put up a career-high 65 receptions for 653 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns on 78 targets in 17 regular-season games in 2024, but he fell to a disappointing 41-486-4 line in 17 regular-season games with Smith in town in 2025. For fantasy football purposes, the 27-year-old was the TE24 in half-PPR scoring in his fifth year in the NFL. As long as veteran Aaron Rodgers returns for another season in the Steel City, Freiermuth will have clear bounce-back potential with a higher target floor in what should be a more pass-happy offense under new head coach Mike McCarthy. The recent addition of receiver Michael Pittman Jr. creates additional target competition for the former second-round selection in 2021 out of Penn State.

Mar 25, 2026 4:07 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth's Fantasy Stock on the Rise

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth's fantasy value in both redraft and dynasty/keeper leagues should be higher going into the 2026 season with the news that the Steelers are releasing Jonnu Smith. In offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's run-first, two-tight-end system last year, Freiermuth regressed, catching 41 of 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (eight starts). Darnell Washington (forearm) also cut into Freirmuth's production. New head coach Mike McCarthy should be much friendlier to Freiermuth for fantasy purposes next season, even if the team's quarterback situation is currently unsettled. Depending on what direction the Steelers go in at QB, Freiermuth will be a TE1 sleeper this fall. In dynasty/keeper leagues, he's a decent buy-low target. Freiermuth already has two seasons with seven touchdown catches, including his rookie year in 2021.

Mar 4, 2026 2:21 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth "Not Available" for Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers are telling teams, at least right now, that tight end Pat Freiermuth is "not available," according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. According to a league source, at least six teams would be interested in "exploring the idea of acquiring" Freiermuth. Fellow TE Jonnu Smith's situation "seems a bit more fluid." General manager Omar Khan said the Steelers are in a fine salary cap situation to "keep both," but they are also in the process of understanding what a change in their offensive philosophy will "mean for personnel." Freiermuth and Smith essentially canceled each other out in fantasy football, with neither TE being in the top 20 in overall half-PPR points at season's end. After a career year in Miami in 2025, Smith had just 38 catches for 222 yards and two TDs, while Freiermuth took a step back, too, with a 41-486-4 line. The Steelers trading Smith out of town would be good news for both Freiermuth's and Smith's fantasy value heading into 2026.

Mar 2, 2026 2:02 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Held in Check Amid Crowded Tight End Room

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a productive season, but the crowded nature of the team's tight end room pushed him off the radar in fantasy football. Despite being a top-nine fantasy tight end in two of his three previous seasons, Freiermuth dropped down to TE25 in PPR leagues in 2025. He played in all 17 games, catching 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Part of Freiermuth's underwhelming season can be attributed to the crowded tight end room surrounding him. Jonnu Smith saw 54 targets after Pittsburgh deliberately went out and traded for him during the offseason, and Darnell Washington had a breakout year with 31 catches. Neither Smith nor Washington is a free agent this offseason, so we could expect a similar story of Freiermuth's volume being capped in 2026. As a result, he's not worth drafting in most 12-team redraft leagues next year, and he could be worth selling in dynasty formats.

Feb 18, 2026 6:29 AM EST

Pat Freiermuth a Touchdown-Dependent TE Streamer Against Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had very limited fantasy football upside in 2025 while sharing TE duties with both Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington (forearm). He finished as the TE24 in half-PPR scoring in 16 regular-season games, with 41 catches on 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Freiermuth and Smith should have slightly bigger roles going into the playoffs on Wild-Card weekend on Monday night against the Houston Texans with Washington out, but the 27-year-old still isn't an ideal option for fantasy managers in a bad matchup. Freiermuth did finish the regular season strong with six catches on 10 targets for 114 yards in the final two games, but he hasn't scored since Nov. 23. The Texans have the No. 1 defense in the league, and they've allowed only 775 receiving yards (seventh-fewest) and eight TDs all year to the tight end position.

Jan 12, 2026 6:37 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth is Risky for Wild-Card Round

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has seen an expanded role in the offense lately. The loss of Darnell Washington (forearm) has moved Freiermuth up the depth chart. Over the last four games, Freiermuth has hauled in 13 receptions for 179 yards, but he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 12. The 27-year-old will head into a playoff matchup against a tough Houston Texans defense this week. The Texans' defense has been generally strong versus opposing tight ends, which isn't good news for Freiermuth. The increased target share will certainly help, but Freiermuth should be viewed as a lower-end option for this difficult Wild-Card matchup. The return of DK Metcalf from a two-game suspension is also bad news for Freirmuth.

Jan 5, 2026 9:20 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Gains Streaming Value for Week 18

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth finished with his second-highest total in yardage during Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Freiermuth hauled in three of his five targets for 63 yards in the loss. He saw 70 percent of the offensive snaps, which is the most for him since Week 3. The increased playing time was because Darnell Washington (forearm) was forced to leave the game. Washington suffered a broken forearm during that game, so he won't play in the regular-season finale. Freiermuth figures to play a bigger role alongside Jonnu Smith during the Week 18 matchup against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Freiermuth has seen four or more targets in three straight games coming into this one. He's worthy of looking at as a TE2 streamer for the regular-season finale.

Dec 29, 2025 9:41 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Could See More Work in Week 17

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth could be in line for an expanded role in Week 17. Following wide receiver D.K. Metcalf's two-game suspension for punching a fan, Freiermuth could see more work in the passing game. In his last four games, the 27-year-old has garnered 12 targets in the Steelers' passing attack. It is worth noting that Freiermuth has had big fantasy performances in the past, including a Week 7 outing this season when he went over 100 receiving yards and scored twice. With Metcalf out, the Steelers' passing attack is left without its greatest red zone weapon, and Freiermuth could be the biggest beneficiary. Entering Week 17, Wilson and the Steelers will face a Miami Dolphins defense that has allowed the 10th-most receiving touchdowns this season. Freiermuth will be a touchdown-dependent tight end in Week 17, but he has a better chance to find the end zone than usual.

Dec 27, 2025 10:07 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Can't Be Trusted Against Detroit

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth was effective in Week 15, catching three passes for 45 yards, and will hope to stay involved in Week 16 against the Detroit Lions. Though the Lions have struggled against the pass this season, the majority of production they have allowed has come from opposing wide receivers. Still, this isn't necessarily a matchup to avoid, especially given the game's healthy projected point total. The concern for Freiermuth remains his volatile role, as Pittsburgh continues to split opportunities fairly evenly among him, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington. Fantasy managers in deep formats who are desperate at the position could look to stream Freiermuth in hopes of a touchdown, but the 27-year-old should be left on waiver wires in most redraft leagues.

Dec 20, 2025 1:33 PM EST