Steelers Predicted to Bring Back Key Free Agent as Mike McCarthy Could Abandon $48.4M Star

The Pittsburgh Steelers are staring down a brutal offseason calculus where loyalty will inevitably clash with the salary cap. While the front office is almost guaranteed to to find one vital offensive share hitting the birth market, one other $forty eight.4 million funding can also very successfully be proven the door. The appearance of Mike McCarthy is ready to radically alter the franchise’s offensive DNA.

Working abet Kenneth Gainwell has been nothing making an attempt worthy for the Steelers since getting back from Philadelphia. The crew MVP excelled below Arthur Smith’s multi-abet plan, finishing the 2025 advertising and marketing campaign with 114 carries, 537 yards, and five touchdowns. Now, his $1.79 million slash worth-bin contract is decided to expire in mid-March.

His dynamic partnership with Jaylen Warren turn out to be the straightforward highlight of the Steelers’ season. Collectively, the duo accounted for 11 blended dashing touchdowns, whereas Gainwell fashioned quick chemistry with frail quarterback Aaron Rodgers. At appropriate 26 years inclined, the running abet is firmly in his high with numerous runway left to retain this peak keep.

Furthermore, McCarthy’s arrival as head coach often is the best catalyst for Gainwell’s persisted success. At some level of McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas, he famously engineered breakout seasons for his backfield, pushing Rico Dowdle past the 1,000-yard impress and helping Tony Pollard fabricate a Skilled Bowl nod. The Steelers struck gold finding Gainwell in free company, and so they’re highly not inclined to let him wobble abet into it.

While the backfield’s future looks to find in Pittsburgh, the identical can’t be mentioned for one among the crew’s very best-paid pass catchers. Pat Freiermuth also can dangle suited up within the Dark and Gold for the final time. Having a see at his metrics, followers expected a gigantic 2025 advertising and marketing campaign, however his production took a perplexing nosedive.

Pat Freiermuth also can dangle performed his last game for the Pittsburgh Steelers

The tight end recorded appropriate 41 receptions for 486 yards and 4 touchdowns this past season. That represents a steep drop-off of nearly 150 yards and three touchdowns in comparison to his 2024 output. Following basically the most statistically disappointing one year since his 2021 rookie season, infamous voices are foundation to plan out his exit strategy.

“Pat Freiermuth, they barely performed him last one year,” analyst Gregg Rosenthal approved on his NFL Each day Podcast. “He’s $9.1 million in entire compensation this season. He has an extremely tradeable contract.”

Rosenthal didn’t end there when evaluating the disconnect within the passing game.

“He didn’t seem match with Rodgers for whatever motive,” Rosenthal added. “He looks admire one which stands out to me on story of he’s within the course of his high. He’s an spectacular participant, however presumably he’s not a match there anymore.”

Despite Rosenthal’s observation, the on-field tape told a slightly numerous story relating to his chemistry along with his quarterback. The tight end used to be in most cases out-snapped by Darnell Washington, yet he aloof flashed easy high-tier most likely when his quantity used to be in actual fact known as.

Watch no extra than his explosive Week 7 efficiency towards the Bengals to see his ceiling. Freiermuth racked up 111 yards and two touchdowns, entirely bailing out the offense in crunch time. Going thru a desperate 2nd-and-20 with appropriate 2:31 left within the fourth quarter, Rodgers scrambled left and launched a 68-yard landing bomb to Freiermuth to give Pittsburgh a unhurried 31-30 lead.

That keep of game-breaking capacity makes Arthur Smith’s refusal to feature him even extra baffling. Now, McCarthy inherits a 27-one year-inclined tight end armed with a four-one year, $forty eight.4 million contract that runs thru 2028. The fresh head coach have to at once resolve whether or to not provide around that untapped most likely or lower bait and replace him to the very perfect bidder.