Steelers HC Explains What's Happening With Pat Freiermuth
After tight end Pat Freiermuth played just 21 snaps against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin laid out the reasoning behind his reduced role as the team prepares to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
"We have a certain personality, particularly when we play 4-3 teams," Tomlin said. "I haven't been bashful about that. That's why we drafted Darnell Washington. You can't play 4-3 teams with 250-pound tight ends. You can't. The weight classes in combat sports [are] for a reason, and so when the EDGE people are 300 pounds, you better have somebody out there that looks like that animal. And so that was our intentions [against] Minnesota, and so certainly as we move into divisional play in the next couple of weeks and we're playing two 4-3 teams, chances are you're gonna see more of that.
"It's unfair at times to ask guys like Pat Freiermuth and Connor [Heyward] to block 4-3 ends. That's not real realistic if you want to have a real good run game day."
Freiermuth's Performance vs. Vikings
Freiermuth's 21 total snaps against Minnesota was the lowest count of any game he's appeared in across his five years in the NFL thus far.
The 26-year-old was charted by Pro Football Focus as having just seven run blocking reps after logging 19 against the New England Patriots, who run a 3-4 base defense, during Week 3.
Freiermuth's Role Moving Forward
As Tomlin insinuated, Washington should see more playing time against 4-3 defenses due to his 6-foot-7, 264-pound frame and the fact that he's widely regarded as one of the better blocking tight ends in the league.
Washington, whose 55 total reps vs. Minnesota was his most in a single game since Week 6 of the 2024 campaign, helped kickstart a Steelers run game that had been dormant all season long. The team went off for 131 yards on the ground against a stout Vikings defense even without starter Jaylen Warren healthy, as Kenneth Gainwell led the way with 99 yards on 19 carries.
Freiermuth, while not necessarily a subpar blocker, certainly isn't anywhere near Washington's level in that regard. His value to Pittsburgh comes from his prowess as a receiver, and while he's hauled in just seven passes for 65 yards so far this season, he's coming off a 2024 campaign in which he recorded 653 yards to go alongside seven touchdowns.
If the Steelers' game plan against 4-3 defenses doesn't warrant Freiermuth getting a ton of reps, however, than it's hard to justify see him seeing the field over Washington based on his threat level in the passing game.
Pittsburgh's offense looked the best it has all season against the Vikings, and it sure seems as though Freiermuth will continue to take a back seat over the coming weeks as the Steelers take on the Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.
Commanders Urged to Make Blockbuster Move for Former 2nd-Round RB
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Pro Football Network's Josh Weil named New York Jets running back Breece Hall a blockbuster trade target for Jacory Croskey-Merritt and the Washington Commanders.
The Washington Commanders already made a somewhat surprising running back trade to begin this season. This week, the Commanders received encouragement to make another even bigger move — acquire New York Jets running back Breece Hall.
Pro Football Network’s Josh Weil named Hall a blockbuster trade candidate for the Commanders on October 6. Weil proposed Washington trade a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Jets for Hall and a 2026 seventh-rounder.
“The Washington Commanders have found a gem in Jacory Croskey-Merritt. With Austin Ekeler out for the season, they don’t have much experience behind him, so they should consider a move,” Weil wrote. Along with his knowledge, bringing in Breece Hall from the Jets brings a whole new dynamic to the offense, as Croskey-Merritt isn’t used in the passing game much, whereas Hall can be strong in all facets of the game.
“Having a two-headed monster like this will both lower the workload of Croskey-Merritt and bring a hungry player with free agency looming to get his first taste of playoff football. Hall takes this offense to a level that can help them execute even more consistently, and make them a real threat to the Eagles’ hold on the division crown.”
As Weil explained, adding Hall would give the Commanders a 1-2 punch again in their backfield. Washington opened the season with Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Austin Ekeler as their top two running backs.
However, the team lost Ekeler to a season-ending torn Achilles during Week 2.
Without Ekeler, Croskey-Merritt has led the league with a 6.6 yards per carry average. Crosky-Merritt has posted 283 rushing yards and four touchdowns along with five catches for 54 yards.
Hall, who the Jets drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, has 351 rushing yards. He’s averaged 5.3 yards per carry this season.
What Breece Hall Could Bring to Commanders
Hall is becoming an afterthought with the winless Jets. After the team drafted him at No. 34 overall in 2022, he quickly burst onto the scene with a 5.8 yards per carry average in his rookie season.
But a torn ACL and meniscus cut the running back’s first NFL season short. Hall was solid while remaining healthy in 2023 and 2024, but he failed to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark in either campaign while playing in a struggling Jets offense.
Hall, though, could be a terrific complement to Croskey-Merritt. Not only would he give the Commanders more depth, Hall’s a better pass-catcher than the seventh-round rookie.
In 2023, Hall had 76 catches for 591 receiving yards. Thanks to his pass-catching ability, he has reached at least 1,350 yards from scrimmage each of the past two years.
Having another back such as Hall will also help Croskey-Merritt avoid hitting the rookie wall. Croskey-Merritt is on pace for 163 touches this season. He only had one such season at the top level in college.
Commanders RB Depth Entering Week 6
Without Ekeler, the Commanders have used veteran Jeremy McNichols and 2023 sixth-rounder Chris Rodriguez as their depth running backs. Both backs have been efficient when carrying the ball.
But neither has a lot of touches. In fact, quarterback Jayden Daniels is second to Croskey-Merritt for Washington in rushing yards.
Adding Hall would give the Commanders another dimension to their ground attack and important depth. Acquiring Hall would be an aggressive move, but it would be an appropriate one since Washington advanced to the NFC Championship Game last season.
It is worth wondering, though, how much better could the Commanders really get on the ground with any running back addition through a trade. Entering Week 6, Washington sits ranked first in rushing yards and yards per carry.
The Commanders are also eighth in points scored and 13th in total yards.
