Much has been made about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end usage this season. Or more accurately, a lack of usage. Pat Freiermuth has just seven receptions, while Jonnu Smith has gone quiet for stretches. Against the Minnesota Vikings, neither saw the field much as Darnell Washington and Spencer Anderson dominated the snap count.
I’m less concerned about snap counts. Freiermuth and Smith will have larger roles in future games, similar to the first three weeks of the season. The more concerning part is the lack of production when those two have the ball in their hands. The results have been meager.
One way to measure success is how often players move the chains. Tight ends, after all, are supposed to be the security blankets. More than that, Freiermuth and Smith are pass-game staples who are supposed to make plays. I compiled the first down catch percentage of every tight end room in the NFL entering Week 6 (so this excludes the Thursday night game). It’s a measure of efficiency and which groups are keeping drives going.
| Team | TE 1st Down % |
|---|---|
| Patriots | 79.2% (19 of 24) |
| Bills | 70% (21 of 30) |
| Bears | 70% (7 of 10) |
| Seahawks | 66.7% (14 of 21) |
| Colts | 64% (16 of 25) |
| 49ers | 62.1% (18 of 29) |
| Falcons | 61.9% (13 of 21) |
| Chargers | 60% (9 of 15) |
| Dolphins | 57.9% (11 of 17) |
| Lions | 57.7% (15 of 26) |
| Jets | 57.1% (16 of 28) |
| Packers | 56.5% (13 of 23) |
| Giants | 56.5% (13 of 23) |
| Rams | 52.9% (9 of 17) |
| Cardinals | 52.6% (20 of 38) |
| Eagles | 52.4% (11 of 21) |
| Saints | 51.9% (14 of 27) |
| Raiders | 51.5% (17 of 33) |
| Texans | 50% (14 of 28) |
| Chiefs | 50% (14 of 28) |
| Ravens | 50% (11 of 22) |
| Buccaneers | 50% (5 of 10) |
| Jaguars | 48.3% (14 of 29) |
| Titans | 46.4% (13 of 28) |
| Panthers | 43.8% (14 of 32) |
| Commanders | 43.8% (7 of 16) |
| Vikings | 43.5% (10 of 23) |
| Broncos | 39.1% (9 of 23) |
| Browns | 36.6% (15 of 41) |
| Bengals | 36% (9 of 25) |
| Steelers | 24% (6 of 25) |
| Cowboys | 23.9% (11 of 46) |
Pittsburgh is 31st in success. The only team worse is the Dallas Cowboys, and starting TE Jake Ferguson leads the team in receptions and touchdowns. Few will be upset about any lack of involvement there. It’s interesting that three of the four AFC North teams rank 29th, 30th and 31st. What that means, I’m not sure. But it’s notable.
Volume isn’t necessarily the issue. Pittsburgh’s tight ends have a combined 25 targets, roughly an average number leaguewide. Perhaps it should be higher given the amount of 12 personnel, but the Steelers also haven’t run many plays. Pittsburgh entered the week 29th with 53.8 per game, nearly 10 less than in 2024. The Steelers also rank 30th in pass attempts, making it no surprise that aggregate numbers are lower than others.
That’s not the main issue. The issue is the lack of playmaking when Smith, Freiermuth and the rest have been targeted. It’s been a two-way problem. Freiermuth and Smith haven’t been used downfield much. Smith especially. His average depth of target is 0.4-yards, easily the lowest of any tight end and a number that is running back-like. Only three of Smith’s 14 receptions have gone for first downs, including his touchdown against the Jets.
Freiermuth has fared better, but his YAC is half his career average, and Pittsburgh hasn’t done much to scheme him open. Of course, he also has a bad drop to open the season that negated a long catch, and WR Calvin Austin III potentially took a touchdown away from him in Week 2.
These numbers are likely to improve. I’m not in freak-out mode, conjuring up trade scenarios for Freiermuth. Water will find its level. Smith and Freiermuth have been consistently productive in their careers, and more targets will come their way. The three-headed attack means no single player is likely to shine with big numbers, but the point of having three tight ends with unique skillsets was to divvy up their roles into specific buckets. Sometimes that means more of the pass catchers like Freiermuth and Smith. Sometimes that means more of the blocker in Washington.
What the focus should be isn’t on the mere number of catches these players have, but the effectiveness when the ball is thrown their way. That number is a collective that represents the play of the group. And that number is far too low.
