Pat Freiermuth

Pittsburgh Steelers
Tight End #88
FANTASY NEWS STATS INJURY

Pat Freiermuth News RotoBaller

Pat Freiermuth Remains a Deep-League Waiver Wire Target Despite Underwhelming Week 3

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth had a quiet game in his team's Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, recording two catches for 30 yards on four targets. However, the 27-year-old has played a steady role in the Steelers' passing game so far this season, recording 11 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets across the first three weeks of 2026. Freiermuth has proven he can be productive when he sees consistent target volume, recording 65 catches for 653 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 targets in 2024. Given his current role in the Pittsburgh offense, Freiermuth profiles as a worthy waiver wire target in deeper fantasy leagues ahead of his Week 4 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

Sep 28, 2026 5:50 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Looks to Find Continued Success Against Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has operated in an encouraging role so far this season and has a great opportunity to turn his usage into fantasy production against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Through 10 career meetings with Cincinnati, Freiermuth has scored six touchdowns while averaging five receptions and 62 yards per contest. Despite the Bengals' defensive improvements, Cincinnati struggled to contain Dalton Schultz in Week 2 after surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends in both 2025 and 2024. Freiermuth is likely available in the majority of redraft leagues and should be viewed as a solid streaming option in this divisional showdown.

Sep 25, 2026 8:22 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth an Under-the-Radar Waiver Wire Target Ahead of Week 3

Across his first two games of 2026, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has recorded nine catches for 78 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. The 27-year-old's numbers regressed across the board in 2025, but he appears to be re-emerging as the TE1 in Pittsburgh under a new coaching staff in 2026. In Week 3, Freiermuth has a favorable matchup on paper against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati allowed 14 targets to Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz in Week 2, and Freiermuth recorded six catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets across two games against the Bengals last season. Especially if Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) remains sidelined, Freiermuth could be a worthy tight end streamer for fantasy managers in Week 3.

Sep 22, 2026 12:57 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Maintains Steady Role in Loss to Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth hauled in four of his five targets for 32 yards in a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 2. The entire Steelers offense struggled on Sunday, but Freiermuth made the most of his opportunities and continued to build on his early-season chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Though it remains to be seen whether wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot), who missed this week's game, will miss additional time, Freiermuth should have a featured role in Pittsburgh's passing attack moving forward. Fantasy managers may have a hard time trusting any of the team's pass-catchers in starting lineups, but Freiermuth looks like an enticing streaming option against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.

Sep 20, 2026 3:33 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth an Intriguing Streaming Option Against New England

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth enjoyed an expanded role in Week 1, securing all five of his targets for 46 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Atlanta Falcons. Perhaps even more encouraging was his 73% snap share after failing to surpass 70% in any contest last season. He'll take on a stout New England Patriots defense in Week 2, but it's worth noting that the Patriots were somewhat vulnerable against opposing tight ends in 2025. Additionally, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) is currently listed as questionable after missing practice on both Thursday and Friday. If Pittman is sidelined, Freiermuth could take on an even larger role as a reliable weapon for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. While there are likely better options available in most leagues, Freiermuth is firmly on the streaming radar for fantasy purposes and is worth stashing ahead of Sunday's contest.

Sep 18, 2026 7:40 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth Back on Fantasy Radars After Encouraging Week 1

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth got his 2026 season started on the right foot, recording five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown on five targets in his team's Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Freiermuth had the least productive season of his career on a per-game basis in 2025, hauling in 42 receptions for 486 yards and four touchdowns on 54 targets across 17 games (eight starts). However, the team enters 2026 with a new play-caller in head coach Mike McCarthy and parted ways with tight ends Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward over the offseason. While Steelers tight end Darnell Washington remains a part of the team's offense, Freiermuth was on the field for 73% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps in Week 1. If Freiermuth's usage ticks back up this season, he could re-emerge as a solid tight end streamer for fantasy managers.

Sep 15, 2026 12:59 PM EST

Pat Freiermuth on the Fringe of Fantasy Radar for Week 1

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is a fringe top-24 option in fantasy football ahead of Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. Freiermuth is coming off a modest 2025 campaign in which he ranked as the TE25 with 41 catches, 486 yards, and four touchdowns. Last year, he faced plenty of competition for targets from Jonnu Smith and Darnell Washington. This year, Smith is gone, but Washington remains in the position group, and the Steelers are also expected to divert more targets to new wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Additionally, the Steelers' matchup against the Falcons isn't incredibly advantageous for fantasy football. The Steelers are 6.5-point favorites and could go up early against the Falcons, who are starting third-string quarterback Cooper Rush. In such a lopsided matchup, we could see the Steelers adopt a run-heavy approach early in the game to keep the clock moving. Therefore, there may be fewer targets to go around for Freiermuth, who ranks third (at best) in the Steelers' passing game pecking order behind Pittman and DK Metcalf.

Sep 13, 2026 5:37 AM EST

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