Steel City Underground presents a post-2024 NFL season re-evaluation of each positional group on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster in this series, highlighting the standout player or players among each group.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers added Arthur Smith as their offensive coordinator in 2024, it was expected that he would install an offensive scheme heavy in tight end usage. Although that was the case, with several personnel packages employed – including 12 personnel, 13, and less often 22 – the tight end that led the group was Freiermuth. We look at the tight ends group’s performance and what might have led to higher overall production.
Tight Ends: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, MyCole Pruitt, Connor Heyward
In a season that saw the Steelers offense move from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson at quarterback yet still ebb and flow in production due to a number of factors, the contract deal Pittsburgh completed with Freiermuth proved worthwhile. Freiermuth led the team in total number of receptions with 65 and seven touchdowns, outpacing receiver George Pickens‘ 59 catches and three touchdowns (Pickens had 900 yards to Freiermuth’s 653).
Muth’s reception total was tied for eighth-most among the league’s tight ends. His touchdown total ranked him fourth among all NFL players at that position.
Despite not being targeted more than three times in a game during six total games, Freiermuth was one of the most reliable players who altered routes to help out his quarterback. Both Fields and Wilson were plagued by pressure and an offensive line that played unevenly through the season; both were tentative throwing over the middle of the field. Freiermuth showed more ability to create opportunities, including off of blocks, and that made him stand out.
Freiermuth would have stood out even more had Fields and Wilson realized that he was also the most sure-handed receiving target they had available on nearly every play of the season.
8⃣ 8⃣ hauls it in for 6⃣
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— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 15, 2024
The Steelers offense got a total of 96 receptions for 933 yards and 10 touchdowns from their tight ends. That was an improvement from the 2023 NFL season, but lagged behind pre-season prediction models and resultant season play by other tight ends across the league. Yes, four tight ends split the time in Pittsburgh versus teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs who relied on Brock Bowers and Travis Kelce almost exclusively at the position, but production could have – perhaps, should have – been better for the Steelers.
Because of his blocking prowess, Washington lived up to his “Mt. Washington” moniker and was utilized on 584 offensive snaps (a little more than 50 percent) in 2024. His size makes Washington a nice target, but he was targeted just 25 times for 19 receptions, 200 yards, and a single touchdown.
Pittsburgh’s redzone offense was abysmal, which could have been made better had Fields and Wilson attempted more passes to Washington inside that area. Whether that was an issue with Smith’s schemes or execution can be debated. Although Washington isn’t speedy in the open field, his size makes him the type of target NFL teams covet in the redzone… yet, the Steelers didn’t.
Heyward, listed as a fullback/h-back, played just 18.3 percent of his snaps on offense. He caught 6/8 targets for 40 yards and a touchdown. Heyward tied Miles Killebrew‘s special teams snaps in 2024 (303) and was responsible for a big-time play in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
BIG TIME SPECIAL TEAMS PLAY
@ConnorHeyward1
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— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 5, 2025
Pruitt got lost in the mix a bit. He played 24 percent of the offensive snaps but was often the second or third tight end in a package. Despite missing five games due to injury, Pruitt caught 6/10 targeted passes for 40 yards and a touchdown.
The Steelers need to find a way to better implement their tight ends into their overall offensive plans outside of just lining them up as extra blockers. Had the tight ends been utilized as passing targets in the packages they were often lined-up in, Fields and Wilson might have found more success passing the ball and converting critical downs.
Moving forward, Arthur Smith has some work to do to really re-energize the multi-TE packages in Pittsburgh as a true offensive weapon. Whether that will include changes in personnel/players or schemes will be something to keep an eye on.
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Las Vegas Raiders WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. is opening eyes at training camp, including QB Geno Smith, who appears to be trusting the rookie. Maybe that is the reason why general manager John Spytek has not looked for outside help at the position. And just maybe he got a steal from the 2025 NFL Draft. That looked evident on the first day of pads in Henderson, Nevada, where Thornton badly beat fellow rookie cornerback Darien Porter for a long touchdown, as described by The Athletic's Tashan Reed. In a piece, Reed said Thornton has been the first-string "X" receiver since OTAs and "could make an immediate impact." Thornton shared what Smith told him during training camp: "He tells me every single day, 'if you've got a one-on-one matchup, I'm coming to you,'" Smith said, as shared by Reed. "It means a lot to me. Being a rookie and just getting here ... just knowing that he believes in me a lot. It gives me a lot of motivation to keep getting better." While the headlines are more on rookie RB Ashton Jeanty for his potential big season, Thornton is making sure he is not forgotten after getting selected in the fourth round (108th overall) after leading the University of Tennessee with 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Thornton is getting all the opportunities he can get, given the Raiders didn't bother to add a veteran WR. One could see why Thornton is raising eyebrows in training camp. That is a good thing because Smith is trusting Thornton's potential playmaking abilities. Thornton is one of the tallest Raiders WRs besides Collin Johnson, and that could be a big deal given the Raiders need a big target minus TEs Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas. Yet, ESPN's Mike Clay is projecting Thornton to have a quiet year with 317 receiving yards and a TD. With such low numbers, maybe that is how the Raiders would prefer it to be, anyway. Only the Raiders know what they have in Thornton. It is up to Thornton to keep the momentum going into preseason games and beyond.
The Boston Red Sox got some bad news in the infield. Rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer has gotten a lot of time at second base and third base. Since Alex Bregman returned, Mayer has gotten most of his action at second base while also filling in as the Red Sox worked Bregman back slowly. Unfortunately, he's on the Injured List, though, due to a wrist sprain. MassLive.com's Christopher Smith shared the lastest update on Mayer from Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Saturday noted that he's "not gonna play soon." "No new updates on Marcelo Mayer's wrist sprain, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said," Smith shared. "'Just waiting for results and see specialists and all that stuff,' Cora added. 'He's not gonna play soon. So have to make sure where we're at and what the course of action is going to be.'" Losing Mayer is tough. Defense has been a question mark for Boston once again this season but Mayer has helped in that area. With Mayer out, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to get a lot of action at second base. That helps to alleviate the logjam in the outfield, but also removes arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game. Boston isn't at full strength and Cora noting he's "not gonna play soon" certainly doesn't sound positive. Before going down, Mayer was slashing .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBIs, and eight doubles. Will the Red Sox add another piece ahead of the trade deadline? It absolutely makes sense at this point.
The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class had its day in Cooperstown on Sunday. This year's class included Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who were elected by the eligible voters from the Baseball Writer's Association of America, and Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were elected by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Here are some of the top highlights from Sunday's induction speeches. Dave Parker's son reads poem written by Hall of Fame father Parker's induction into the Hall of Fame was long overdue, and he sadly did not have the opportunity to enjoy the moment of seeing his name in the Hall of Fame as he died June 28. That left his speech in the hands of his son, Dave Parker II, who read a poem written by his dad. Parker spent the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was an MVP winner, two-time batting champion and World Series champion with the 1979 "We Are Family" team. Dick Allen's wife remembers his kindness Allen was the other veterans committee inductee, and his widow, Willa Allen, spent the majority of her speech remember the kindness of Allen off the field as much as his ability on the field. Allen is going into the Hall of Fame as a Phillie but won the 1972 American League MVP with the Chicago White Sox. He led the league in OPS four times and was the 1964 National League Rookie of the Year. A reminder that Billy Wagner wasn't naturally left-handed Being left-handed is a huge advantage (and money-maker) for pitchers, and Wagner was one of the most dominant left-handed relief pitchers to ever step onto a mound in the big leagues. But he wasn't always left-handed. Wagner was a natural-born right-handed person but taught himself how to throw left-handed after fracturing his right arm twice as a kid. It led to quite a career. Wagner made a name for himself with the Houston Astros but also spent years with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. CC Sabathia takes playful dig at Ichiro Sabathia accomplished a ton in his 19-year big league career. He won 251 games, won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, was the 2009 ALCS MVP and a World Series champion. He still has apparently not gotten over the one individual award he did not win — the 2001 American League Rookie of the Year Award, which went to fellow 2025 inductee Ichiro. Sabathia made sure to make a playful dig at that. Sabathia was the only American League rookie outside of Ichiro — who also won the American League MVP that year — to get a first-place vote. He received one. The others all went to Ichiro. Ichiro stole the show Ichiro stole 509 bases in his Hall of Fame career, and on Sunday, he added one more steal to his list of accomplishments by absolutely stealing the show at Cooperstown. He delivered two of the best lines of the day, first by calling out the one lone writer who did not vote for him, keeping him from being just the second unanimous Hall of Fame inductee ever (after Mariano Rivera). His best line of the day, however, might have been when he referenced his brief time as a member of the Miami Marlins toward the end of his career. Ichiro played 14 of his 19 seasons with the Seattle Mariners while also spending time with the Marlins and Yankees.
Terry McLaurin is entering the final year of his current contract and is not participating in team drills during training camp, as he is seeking an extension this offseason. With talks stalled, there has been speculation about how far apart the two sides are in negotiations. During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that McLaurin is unlikely to accept less than DK Metcalf's new deal, which equates to $33 million annually, and likely "wants considerably more." In addition, the 29-year-old receiver and the Washington Commanders "don't seem close to a deal." With the regular season only six weeks away, it is a difficult spot for the Commanders, who are looking to build on what they accomplished last season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels is entering his second year in the NFL and needs his WR1 if he wants to take that next step in his development. Understandably, it seems Washington is hesitant to pay that much for an aging receiver, who will be 30 years old at the start of the season. Last season, McLaurin caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, these stats are somewhat underwhelming when considering that 552 of those receiving yards came in just five games. In the 12 games outside of those outlier performances, McLaurin totaled 544 receiving yards. Also, the 13 receiving touchdowns were a career high and the most for McLaurin since his rookie season (7). It was the first time in McLaurin's career when he had a star quarterback at the helm, which could be a point that last season was truly an outlier year for the veteran receiver. In addition, with Deebo Samuel in the fold, McLaurin's target share will inevitably suffer. Samuel will dominate targets in the screen game and short areas of the field, which McLaurin benefited from. McLaurin is an outstanding receiver, but the Commanders need to be smart in these negotiations. Paying $33 million for a player nearing the end of his prime is not good for team construction. Although Daniels is on his rookie contract for the next several years, overpaying for players does not necessarily lead to winning. If Washington can sign the seven-year veteran to a deal in the range of $25-27 million per year, that would be much more reasonable when considering the age and production of the player. The Commanders are in a tough spot with this transpiring this late in the offseason, but they should not pay a premium for McLaurin.