Blink and you would’ve missed tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith playing in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 4 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Playing scant snaps and hardly seeing the football, OC Arthur Smith says that won’t be the plan every week. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Smith said their involvement will ebb and flow.
“Sometimes game-to-game that can take away,” Smith said of shifting tight end usage via a team-provided transcript. “Jonnu and Pat’s snaps were down, they are valuable members. It’s just the way the game went, it worked. But it doesn’t mean it’s going to work this week. We got a different challenge.”
Combined, Freiermuth and Smith logged just 28 snaps against Minnesota. That was fewer than Darnell Washington’s total of 48 while sixth offensive lineman Spencer Anderson logged nearly 20 himself. Freiermuth and Smith’s snap counts were the lowest of their career. In the passing game, Freiermuth wasn’t targeted while Smith caught two short passes early in the game before being shut out the rest of the way.
Through the first month, neither player is coming close to their production of a season ago. Freiermuth had consistently hauled in 60-plus receptions in years he’s been fully healthy. Smith had a Pro Bowl campaign in 2024. Now, his numbers look more like a running back.
During his Tuesday press conference, Tomlin cited the need to block big 4-3 defensive ends that required bigger people like Washington and Anderson. He hinted that strategy would continue against the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh establishing the running game is first and foremost to the offense’s success. Without it, play-action is less viable and less frequent, and too much is put on Aaron Rodgers’ plate.
Pittsburgh’s usage against Cleveland could be telling. If Smith unveils a similar game plan that features more of Washington and Anderson and less of Freiermuth and Smith, it’s the start of a trend that may not reverse.
But odds are, the team has used the bye to brainstorm ways to get Freiermuth and Smith more chances. Their snap counts weren’t alarmingly low the first three weeks and will likely return closer to “normal” against Cleveland. One two-minute drive could serve as a quick way to get them on the field and the ball. When their number is called, both will need to make plays.
