The Pittsburgh Steelers rarely are sellers at the NFL trade deadline, but this year, they could make an exception. Mike Tomlin is hardly conceding defeat in 2025, and his team still holds the lead in the AFC North. But one potential trade piece will be particularly interesting to opposing teams this year.
Pat Freiermuth is seeing a career-low snap count in his fifth NFL season. Over the Steelers' first six games, the veteran tight end has seen the field for just 28 snaps per game. This is largely because 2023 third-round pick Darnell Washington has taken on a more prominent role on offense.
Meanwhile, Jonnu Smith—a 2025 trade acquisition from the Miami Dolphins and 2024 Pro Bowler—has been cutting into Freiermuth's snaps and production all season. Pittsburgh could elect to hold onto Freiermuth, but one NFL contender could come calling... and the Steelers should pick up the phone.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could trade Pat Freiermuth to the LA Rams
With a 5-2 record in a crowded NFC race, the Los Angeles Rams have proven to be one of the best teams in the NFL in the first half of the 2025 season. Sean McVay's team is fourth in the NFL in point differential (+58), per ESPN stats, and the defense has come alive over the past two seasons.
With Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, the Rams have an elite wide receiver duo. Unfortunately, Nacua is often injured, and LA has a glaring weakness at the tight end position.
Starting tight end Tyler Higbee turns 33 years old soon, and he's not much of a receiving threat—especially in the late stages of his career. Enter Freiermuth, who is coming off arguably the best game of his NFL career. In Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Freiermuth caught five of six targets for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Because of this resurgence on Thursday Night Football last week, fans suggest that the Steelers should hang onto Freiermuth. But even with this big game, he doesn't stand to be a focal point of the offense moving forward.
Instead of being on track to finish third on the Steelers in snaps at the tight end position, the Rams could trade for Freiermuth to be their No. 1 tight end on the team. With Higbee moving exclusively to the 'Y' tight end role, Freiermuth could be the 'F' tight end, who could operate from the slot and be a threat over the middle of the field.
Despite a terrific passing offense, the Rams' tight ends have been a weak spot this season. Higbee is earning a dismal 5.8 yards per target, while no tight end on the team has a higher than a 57.9 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus.
Freiermuth, meanwhile, is the NFL's 16th-graded tight end, despite his limited usage. Though it's an unusually small sample for him (just 17 targets), Freiermuth is averaging 18.5 yards per target in the passing game while catching 76.5 percent of passes thrown in his direction.
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For the second straight season, Freiermuth's quarterbacks are on track to earn a passer rating above 126 when targeting him. This is intriguing for a team like the Rams, who might just be a roster piece or two away from competing for the top spot in the conference.
A Freiermuth trade would give the Steelers the ability to leave Darnell Washington on the field at all times, while not forcing Jonnu Smith to split snaps at the 'F' tight end position. It would also put a mid-round draft pick in Pittsburgh's pocket, which could either be used to add to their 2026 draft arsenal or used in a trade to strengthen a more needy position (like wide receiver, cornerback, or defensive tackle) before the deadline.
The Pittsburgh Steelers might not have any interest in trading Pat Freiermuth, but the LA Rams are a team that should come knocking. The Steelers are paying over $12 million per year for a tight end they've used sparingly this season, and a trade might be in their best interest.