Football
In 2026, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be an offensive-minded football team for the first time in a while. Mike McCarthy is in town, and even though Pat Freiermuth has only gotten a small chance to work with his new coach, the tight end is already loving the McCarthy offense.
“In the short time we’ve been back, the offense we’ve been installing is exciting. It’s a lot different than years in the past,” Freiermuth said Thursday on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast. “It’s a lot of vertical shots, a lot of intermediate routes. I’m super excited for everyone, it’s been great so far.”
The offense will certainly have a different feel. The Steelers hope the quarterback will be the same, with their outward desire for Aaron Rodgers to return. But if he doesn’t, Pittsburgh will get a chance to see its young quarterback, Will Howard, in action. Howard is approaching the season ready to play.
The Steelers beefed up their offensive line by adding Max Iheanachor on Thursday night. Pittsburgh also added some notable names at skill positions, including Michael Pittman Jr. out wide and Rico Dowdle in the backfield. It’s a new-look offense with a new scheme that Pat Freiermuth is optimistic about.
He’s also hopeful for a bigger role after a quiet 2025 season.
“Individually, just continue to be the same person. Hoping to get more opportunities, continue to showcase what I can do. And just as a team, I think we’re in a good spot right now,” Freiermuth said. “I’m excited for what’s going to come this year.”
Freiermuth’s lack of usage in 2025 was baffling. And it was borderline criminal considering how many looks Jonnu Smith got throughout the year. But the latter is now gone, and Freiermuth has a greater chance to make an impact. He’s sharing the room with only Darnell Washington now, who emerged in 2025.
Those two should be bigger pieces of the Steelers’ offense moving forward. And they’ll probably see work in unique ways, with Mike McCarthy stressing positional versatility since taking the job. Freiermuth has taken snaps out wide and in the slot during his career, so he should see some work all over the place, especially with Washington’s blocking prowess potentially keeping him closer to the line of scrimmage.
We’ll have to see whether the 2026 Steelers are an upgrade. But Pat Freiermuth is liking the new version of his team so far. And he hopes to make a bigger impact this year.
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