As the Pittsburgh Steelers entered their Week 9 bye, the focus was on their division title aspirations and the looming NFL trade deadline. But in the shadows, Pat Freiermuth quietly did something that nobody seemed to have their eyes on: the Steelers' tight end casually leapfrogged Bennie Cunningham on the team's all-time tight end receiving list.
Freiermuth didn't have a gaudy performance on the stat sheet against the Browns in Week 8. The veteran tight end reeled in just two receptions on as many targets for 35 yards. But that was enough to move him up the historic list.
And with 2,911 career receiving yards, Freiermuth trails only Heath Miller for yards among all Steelers tight ends since the Super Bowl era.
Pat Freiermuth has quietly become one of the most productive tight ends in Pittsburgh Steelers history
There is some debate here on whether Freiermuth just moved into second or third on the Steelers' all-time leading tight end list. Elbie Nickel, who played for the Steelers from 1947 to 1957, was listed as 'end' or a 'right end' for much of his career, but was a single-wing receiver to start his career before Pittsburgh shifted to the T-formation in 1952.
Because this was so long ago, and the game has evolved significantly since then, it's hard to find the perfect classification for Nickel, as his frame (6'1'', 196 pounds) and role resemble more of a receiver from the NFL merger through today. So Nickel made an appearance on my best Steelers wide receivers list.
Regardless, Freiermuth's accomplishments should be recognized, as the Steelers tight end quietly hit another milestone right under our noses.
In Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, Freiermuth casually surpassed two-time Pro Bowler Eric Green for third place on the Steelers' all-time leading receivers list among tight ends. In Week 8 against the Browns, Freiermuth just surpassed Cunningham.
Pittsburgh Steelers' top 10 tight ends ranked by receiving yards
Rank | Player | Years With Team | Receiving Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Heath Miller | 2005-2015 | 6,569 |
2 | Pat Freiermuth | 2021-present | 2,911 |
3 | Bennie Cunningham | 1976-1985 | 2,879 |
4 | Eric Green | 1990-1994 | 2,681 |
5 | Preston Carpenter | 1960-1963 | 1,680 |
6 | Randy Grossman | 1974-1981 | 1,514 |
7 | John Hilton | 1965-1969 | 1,494 |
8 | Mark Bruener | 1995-2003 | 1,197 |
9 | Jesse James | 2015-2018 | 1,189 |
10 | Vance McDonald | 2017-2020 | 1,170 |
Pat Freiermuth could hold his spot on the Steelers' tight end receiving list for a long time
Freiermuth now trails only the great Heath Miller to top the list (depending on how you view Nickel). However, it's unlikely Freiermuth ever catches the Super Bowl champion and long-time fan favorite.
With 6,569 career receiving yards, Miller is comfortably ahead of the pack, and it's possible that we could go decades before seeing a Steelers tight end finally take the crown for the No. 1 spot on this list. While Freiermuth has never made the Pro Bowl, he's dealt with adversity at the position—going through numerous quarterbacks and offensive coordinators in his first six NFL seasons.
We never would have thought that a player who began his career in 2021 would already be second on an all-time Pittsburgh Steelers list, but Pat Freiermuth just proved that you don't need to be a superstar or soak up the spotlight to make a lasting impact.
And depending on how much longer his tenure in Pittsburgh lasts, it could be a long time before we see another Steelers tight end move ahead of him on the all-time Steelers tight end receiving list.
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