We are just days away from the November 4 NFL trade deadline, but Mike Tomlin already made one thing crystal clear: the Pittsburgh Steelers are always going to be 'buyers' at the deadline. Tomlin's statements seem to rule out the idea that Pittsburgh could 'sell' some of its assets at the deadline for future draft capital.
From Tomlin's perspective, that philosophy makes sense. Even on a two-game losing streak, the Steelers sit atop the AFC North with a 4-3 record, and they can control their own destiny the rest of the way.
But most fans are starting to come to the painful realization that this team isn't very good.
The Steelers have one of the league's worst defenses at the halfway point of the 2025 season, ranking just 30th in yards allowed per game, 22nd in points allowed per game, 22nd in DVOA, and 25th in EPA per play.
With the defense a letdown and the offense an average unit, fans were justified in questioning whether this team should be sellers at the deadline... and Pat Freiermuth feels like the perfect player to unload.
Freiermuth has been underutilized all season. The emergence of tight end Darnell Washington and the addition of 2024 Pro Bowler Jonnu Smith are largely responsible for the stark decline in snap counts and production. Unfortunately, the Steelers may have already missed the window to dump him.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should have sold high on Pat Freiermuth after his career performance in Week 7
After virtually going unnoticed in Pittsburgh's first five games of the 2025 season, Freiermuth exploded against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. The fifth-year tight end and 2021 second-round pick of the Steelers caught five of six passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
This massive performance came in primetime action on Thursday Night Football with the nation watching. Freiermuth's huge performance felt like the perfect stock booster ahead of the deadline... and the Steelers missed a window to strike a trade.
The following week, against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, Freiermuth plummeted back down to earth—earning a mere 13 receiving yards on four targets.
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While there may be a few tight-end-needy contenders out there who would still be interested in acquiring Freiermuth, Omar Khan and the front office would have been wise to sell high. Freiermuth is playing just 48 percent of the team's offensive snaps (a career low) and is on pace for the worst production he's seen in a season since entering the NFL.
The worst part is that the Steelers are paying $12.1 million per season to a player who has essentially become their third-string tight end. All of this for a player who is averaging 28 receiving yards per game.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers can find a way to dump Pat Freiermuth's contract and turn him into a 2026 draft pick, they should do it. Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan should have sold high on Freiermuth, and now it might already be too late.