Pat Freiermuth caught 1-of-3 targets for 18 yards in the Steelers’ Wild Card loss to the Texans.

13 January 2026

The five-year veteran tight end returned the lowest reception and yardage total of his professional career other than his injury-shortened 2023 campaign, catching just 41 balls for 486 yards and four touchdowns. The offseason addition of Jonnu Smith simply cut into both his snap and route participation rates for Arthur Smith’s tight end-heavy offense, even with the team ranking third in rate of offensive plays with multiple tight ends on the field. Darnell Washington led the position group in snaps as he operated effectively as a sixth offensive lineman for the Steelers, leaving Freiermuth’s fantasy value in the dust in the process. Things don’t appear to be any better considering quarterback Aaron Rodgers is likely to retire and head coach Mike Tomlin could be on the host seat after his seventh consecutive postseason loss.