One of the greatest mysteries for the Steelers this offseason was what new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme will look like.
We’re a couple of weeks into the team’s OTA sessions and starting to get a sense of what’s going on. And that should come as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention this summer.
When the Steelers signed MyCole Pruitt earlier this summer, they added five tight ends with NFL experience to their roster, including Pat Freiermuth, Connor Heyward, Darnell Washington, and Rodney Williams. The team also signed Izaiah Gathings, a collegiate wide receiver who switched to tight end in the NFL and spent time on Kansas City’s practice squad in 2023.
“I feel like everybody’s role has changed with the offense,” Heyward said this week. Tight ends are frequently used with receivers, fullbacks, and quarterbacks. It’s a change for everyone, but it’s a positive change.”
Regular readers of this weekly piece on Steelers.com will not be shocked by this. After all, Smith has a history of exploiting his tight ends. Kyle Pitts, a rookie tight end, had a 1,000-yard season two years ago. Last season, both Pitts and Jonnu Smith exceeded 50 catches and combined for more than 1,200 yards.
For whatever reason, Freiermuth and other Steelers tight ends were underutilized in 2023. Freiermuth did miss time due to injury, but even when he was healthy, except from one game against the Bengals, he was not a significant component of the club’s passing game, receiving only 47 targets, ranking seventh on the squad.
With Diontae Johnson (87 targets) and Allen Robinson (49 targets) gone, both of whom ended ahead of Freiermuth in targets, it’s expected that Freiermuth and the rest of the tight ends will help replace those looks in the offense in 2024.
It isn’t too much to expect, especially with a coordinator in place who understands how to use the position. After all, Smith was the Titans’ tight ends coach from 2013 to 2018 before taking over as offensive coordinator.
Run the ball. Create mismatches with tight ends and diverse skill sets. That happens in today’s NFL.
• Receiving the NFL Draft pick in 2026 is significant for more than just the Steelers. It is a significant development for Pittsburgh and the surrounding region.
This year’s draft drew 700,000 people over three days in Detroit. Given how easily Pittsburgh can be reached from a lot of NFL locations, it wouldn’t be surprising if that figure fell by 2026.
The majority of the players that returned to Pittsburgh did so to compete in the Resilience Bowl for the Neighborhood Resilience Project, a nonprofit with whom Troy and Theodora Polamalu have been working closely.
