The tight end position has come a long way in the last decade or two. There used to be a handful of elite pass-catching tight ends in the league at any given time. This has changed as college tight ends just keep getting bigger and faster and catching everything in sight.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, they have one of these new style tight ends in Pat Freiermuth. At 6-foot-5 and nearly 260 pounds, Freiermuth is too big and athletic for most linebackers and safeties to contend with.
Last season, with the change over at quarterback, Freiermuth saw his role in the offense change but he still saw significant improvement statistically. Freiermuth finished 63 receptions for 732 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Looking ahead to this season, where does Freiermuth go next? If offensive coordinator Matt Canada is to be believed, the team is going to run the ball much more. This means fewer opportunities for all the pass catchers. Having said that, I don’t look for Freiermuth’s numbers to drop at all. He’s just too dependable and for a young quarterback that means everything. Plus after catching seven touchdowns as a rookie and falling to just two last season, he expect a nice rebound in that department too.
Receptions – 64
Receiving yards – 691
Receiving touchdowns – 8
