Pat Freiermuth Reaches Significant Steelers Milestone

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has surpassed Bennie Cunningham (2,879) to become the Steelers' second-leading tight end in career receiving yards. Only Steelers legend Heath Miller (6,569) has more receiving yards among tight ends in franchise history.

Freiermuth moved into second place with a 7-yard reception late in the first quarter.

Last year, Freiermuth recorded a career low in offensive snap percentage (51%), targets per game (3.2) and receiving yards per game (2.4), yet he had his most efficient season when it came to yards per target (9) and yards per catch (11).

Things have changed now under Mike McCarthy . Freiermuth is off to a hot start, catching 24 passes for 2007 yards and four touchdowns.

Freiermuth feels like he's being properly utilized.

"I definitely see myself as more of a focal point of the offense," Freiermuth said in early October on The Pat McAfee Show . "Probably in OTAs and camp, I started getting the feel that Aaron [Rodgers] and Coach McCarthy were going to use me and my strengths. And I felt like it was just kind of a natural process, trying to lean on the tight end room with me and Darnell [Washington] throughout the camp and OTAs.

Freiermuth had a standout performance in the Steelers ' Week 5 win over the Indianapolis Colts, catching seven passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns.

"I think Coach McCarthy has done a great job of challenging the offense to go out and win games on offense instead of kind of relying on the defense to win those games for us," Freiermuth said. "I feel like we're playing some good complementary team football right now and we just gotta continue to keep going."

Freiermuth also praised McCarthy for being very detailed.

"I thought he was going to be extremely detailed, and he definitely is that," Freiermuth said. "Our schedules are very detailed, very oriented. We're in there throughout the day, really going through meetings throughout the whole day and very structured, which is good. I think the guys have been responsive to it."