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    Pat Freiermuth the ‘go-to pass-catching tight end’

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    The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo believes TE Pat Freiermuth will be the Steelers’ “go-to pass-catching tight end” this season.

    The Steelers notably signed TE Darnell Washington to a four-year, $42 million contract extension this offseason, but DeFabo believes Freiermuth is still the team’s TE1. He expects Washington to continue operating as a receiving threat, “especially in the red zone,” but he is apparently stuck in the TE2 role. Washington’s profile is certainly more intriguing, but he may be best viewed as a boom-bust backup option in best ball for now.
Mayfield faces pivotal contract year
Kyle Dvorchak breaks down Baker Mayfield's contract talks with the Buccaneers and explains why a bounce-back season could earn the veteran quarterback a lucrative contract.

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  • PIT Tight End #80
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    Washington’s contract includes $21 million in guaranteed money. A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from Georgia, he’s been as advertised so far in his pro career. Washington has only 57 catches, 625 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons, but is a tremendous blocker and extremely difficult to tackle when he has the ball. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 264 pounds, he’s one of the most physically imposing players in the NFL. With a $10.5 million average annual value, Washington is 12th in AAV among tight ends. That level of commitment could be a sign the Steelers plan to use a good amount of two tight end sets with Washington and Pat Freiermuth in head coach Mike McCarthy’s first season.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    According to DeFabo, “at least six teams would be interested in exploring the idea” of trading for Freiermuth, but the Steelers have no interest in dealing the five-year vet. Freiermuth had a down year in 2025, catching 41 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns while seeing the second-fewest targets (54) since his injury shortened 2023 season where he played just 12 games. While the Steelers may not have any interest in dealing Freiermuth, DeFabo says the situation with Jonnu Smith “seems a bit more fluid.” Smith crashed back down to earth in 2025 after breaking out for 88-884-8 in his lone season with the Dolphins in 2024, but he remains under contract through next season.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    The five-year veteran tight end returned the lowest reception and yardage total of his professional career other than his injury-shortened 2023 campaign, catching just 41 balls for 486 yards and four touchdowns. The offseason addition of Jonnu Smith simply cut into both his snap and route participation rates for Arthur Smith’s tight end-heavy offense, even with the team ranking third in rate of offensive plays with multiple tight ends on the field. Darnell Washington led the position group in snaps as he operated effectively as a sixth offensive lineman for the Steelers, leaving Freiermuth’s fantasy value in the dust in the process. Things don’t appear to be any better considering quarterback Aaron Rodgers is likely to retire and head coach Mike Tomlin could be on the host seat after his seventh consecutive postseason loss.
  • PIT Tight End #81
    Mid-week appearances typically indicate that a player suffered an injury in practice. With TE Darnell Washington (arm) sidelined, the Steelers’ tight end group is suddenly looking quite thin. Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth would warrant TE1 treatment if Smith is also sidelined on game day.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    Freiermuth did most of his damage on a 31-yard connection with Aaron Rodgers that set up a Kenneth Gainwell touchdown. The 27-year-old has been routinely catching around three passes a game for the majority of the season, and he likely will see a similar amount of targets against the Texans next Monday in the Wild Card Round.
  • PIT Tight End #80
    Washington underwent surgery Monday and won’t return to the Steelers this season, even if they manage to beat the Ravens in Week 18 and make the playoffs. Washington ends the 2025 season with 31 receptions on 43 targets for 364 yards and one touchdown. He was third among Pittsburgh tight ends in catches, as Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth remains involved in Arthur Smith’s tight end-heavy offensive scheme. With Washington sidelined, Freiermuth would seem to be the main beneficiary. Both Smith and Freiermuth have a 48 percent route participation rate through Week 17.
  • PIT Tight End #88
    Freiermuth saw 40 of his receiving yards come on the Steelers’ final drive of the game. The veteran tight end hauled in a 29-yard pass across the middle of the field to move the Steelers into the red zone, and came up with an 11-yard catch on the following play to put the Steelers within range for a touchdown. With Darnell Washington (broken arm) likely to miss next week and DK Metcalf still suspended, Freiermuth could see an uptick in targets in next week’s game against the Ravens.
  • PIT Tight End #80
    Washington was ruled out shortly after leaving the field in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. The hulking tight end won’t be available for Week 18’s must-win game against the Ravens that will decide the winner of the AFC North, which further hurts a passing game that will already be without DK Metcalf. Both Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith could benefit from an uptick in targets with Washington sidelined.
  • PIT Tight End #80
    Washington went down in the second quarter and attempted to come back in for a play. After his lone attempt to gut it out, he left for the sidelines and was ruled out shortly after leaving the field. Washington’s day ends with two receptions for 15 yards on two targets.
  • PIT Wide Receiver #19
    Austin left Week 16’s game with the hamstring injury. He went down in the second half and was listed as questionable to return but never did. A DNP today stacks the odds against him to suit up on Sunday. With DK Metcalf suspended for the remainder of the regular season, Adam Thielen is seemingly the team’s top wideout for Week 17. Aaron Rodgers will also lean heavily on his tight ends versus the Browns, putting Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth in the TE2 mix.

Rotoworld

  • JAC Wide Receiver #12
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    NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter (knee) will be a “full go” for training camp.

    Hunter is working his way back from a 2025 knee injury and is expected to be a full go for the beginning of training camp, according to Wolfe. The 23-year-old is still going to play both sides of the ball, though Wolfe stated Hunter can be “unleashed” as a starter on defense and “the goal is to eventually have him play nearly all the snaps on defense in a particular game.” The Jaguars seem to like Hunter much better as a cornerback but he will still play offense with his wide receiver snaps fluctuating depending on the game. Hunter is attending meetings for both sides of the ball and will presumably practice both sides come training camp. He is expected to be healthy and ready to go by the time Jags veterans report to training camp in late July.
  • CLE Running Back #10
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    An AFC executive told ESPN that Browns RB Quinshon Judkins (leg/ankle) will have a “big year” in 2026.

    Judkins, entering his second NFL season, was an honorable mention in Jeremy Fowler’s list of top running backs headed into the 2026 season. “Runs incredibly hard, faster in the open field than you’d think,” the executive told Fowler. “I think he’s going to have a big year.” Coming off a major leg/ankle injury that ended his rookie campaign, Judkins participated in offseason practices and has a real chance to suit up for Week 1, barring injury setbacks in training camp and the preseason. Judkins had 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2025, adding 26 grabs for 171 yards. He was targeted on a strong 23 percent of his pass routes last season. Assuming health, Judkins could be an underrated option behind an improved Cleveland offensive line.
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    Commanders hired former Vikings assistant GM Demitrius Washington as senior personnel executive.

    Washington spent the past four seasons in the Vikings front office, most recently as assistant general manager. With Minnesota moving on to a new front office, he was let go after Nolan Teasley was hired as general manager. Washington now joins the Commanders as senior personnel executive after previous incumbent Scott Fitterer left to join agency Athletes First. Commanders general manager Adam Peters previously worked with Washington in San Francisco’s front office from 2017-2021.
  • NYG Defensive Lineman #97
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    Giants claimed DL C.J. Ravenell off waivers from the Titans.

    Former Titans DC Dennard Wilson is now the Giants DC, and Ravennell had also been with John Harbaugh in Baltimore before playing 14 games for the Titans last year. The Giants have plenty of potential snaps available along the defensive line, so the connections made Ravenell an easy claim.
  • ATL Defensive End #48
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    Falcons EDGE Bralen Trice (knee) did 11-on-11 work during the early offseason period.

    Trice tore his ACL in a 2024 preseason game against the Dolphins, then missed all of last year on injured reserve when he had a setback. The 2024 third-rounder has yet to play in an NFL game, but could push for a roster spot this year if he manages to stay healthy.
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    NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield are “not close” on an extension.

    “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done on this one,” Garafolo continued. “The Bucs are in no rush.” All outward projections have been that Mayfield and the Buccaneers will eventually find a middle ground, and Todd Bowles recently said that there’s “absolutely no question” he wants Mayfield as his quarterback for a long term. But it does seem like the two sides have very different dollar values attached to Mayfield and that this might be something that simmers into training camp.
  • PHI Running Back #26
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    An NFL coordinator told ESPN Saquon Barkley “tends to need things perfectly set up for him.”

    ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with NFL coaches and front office officials about the league’s best running backs. Barkley ranked third behind Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. “My only criticism is that he doesn’t always produce when things aren’t completely clean,” an NFL coordinator said of Barkley, adding that Barkley should be treated as a three-down back. “That’s dating back to the Giants. Tends to need things perfectly set up for him.” This could explain why Barkley had a disappointing 2025 campaign in an Eagles offense that struggled to move the ball for much of the season. Barkley, who is widely expected to have a bigger role in the Philadelphia passing offense in 2026, last season ranked 45th out of 60 qualifying backs in yards after contact per rush, alongside Woody Marks and Breece Hall. Tank Bigsby, Barkley’s backfield mate, led the NFL in yards after contact per attempt.
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    The Athletic’s Chad Graf believes the Patriots will face fewer stacked boxes in 2026.

    The presence of A.J. Brown in the New England offense, Graf said, could stop teams from crowding the line of scrimmage this season. The Patriots in 2025 faced the league’s second highest rate of stacked boxes (eight or more defenders) at 52 percent, as opposing defenses were not afraid of the team’s pass-catching options. This in turn created less-than-optimal conditions for TreVeon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson. New England last year ranked 18th in yards before contact per attempt, a rate that could (should) rise if defenses give more respect to the passing attack. Graf said Henderson could continue missing out on valuable snaps if he hasn’t improved his pass protection this offseason.
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    Former Lions CB Terrion Arnold cleared waivers and is now a free agent.

    Arnold is facing a mountain of legal issues in connection with a February robbery and kidnapping that took place in Tampa Bay. It comes as no surprise that he cleared waivers, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter the 2024 first-round pick “is expected to visit NFL teams that have expressed interest in signing him.” Arnold’s lawyer came out last week and said at least three teams have already expressed interest in signing him, but we would be surprised if any deal got done before his case is completely behind him.
  • FA Defensive Lineman #97
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    Titans waived DL C.J. Ravenell

    Ravenell played in 14 games for the Titans last season and made one start. The former UDFA totaled six tackles and a forced fumble while appearing on 97 defensive snaps. He will now go on waivers where teams will have a chance to claim him. If he goes unclaimed, Ravenell will be free to sign with any team.