Failures From Steelers' Former OC Matt Canada Have Everyone Truly Forgetting About Potential Breakout Candidate In 2024

The Pittsburgh Steelers have everyone throughout the NFL world a little confused regarding what the plan is in terms of their wide receiver position. George Pickens will lead the way, but almost everything else is a bit of a mystery. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently noted that fans shouldn't get their hopes up about another wideout being added to the roster by the time training camp starts, which is a bit of a head-scratcher. New Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is sure to be putting together a run-first group, but that doesn't discount the fact that Pickens can't do it all himself.

Sitting behind Pickens is expected to be Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and rookie Roman Wilson. There is likely to be a battle for the sixth spot behind all of those guys. It's not necessarily a group that will excite a lot of people, but it's evident that the Steelers have a plan. With Smith at the helm when it comes to the offense, it's becoming more and more clear that everyone is forgetting about a play-maker.

Former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada didn't have too much to be excited about throughout his near-three year tenure. He was fired by the organization, uncharacteristically, in the middle of the 2023 campaign. One of the more worrisome issues (and there were many of them) came at the expense of tight end, Pat Freiermuth.

Freiermuth dealt with injury in 2023, playing in only 12 games, but still was only targeted 47 times in the passing game. In 2022, he dressed for 16 contests and had a total of 98 targets. It was a staggering lack of involvement for the then-third year pass-catcher. Tight ends were always in play when Smith was the play-caller for the Tennessee Titans in 2019 and 2020.

Freiermuth is expected to receive a contract extension prior to the 2024 season kicking off, and he's likely going to earn it, especially if another dynamic receiver isn't added to the roster. Whether it's getting him back to his seven-touchdown season in 2021, 732 receiving yard campaign in 2022, or a mix of both, the Steelers need Freiermuth to step up in a big way.

Pittsburgh may believe that Wilson is ready to play on day one, but loading a rookie with an intense workload isn't a strategy the organization typically implements. With Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward and MyCole Pruitt under contract, could it be possible that the Steelers are looking to mix in Freiermuth as a legitimate wide receiver on the outside in obvious passing downs and situations?

Freiermuth has the ability to go vertical and get through traffic in the middle of the field. It's absolutely possible that he is used all over the place, especially in a Smith offense. This could end with him having his best career season. Due to his injuries in 2023 and Canada seemingly forgetting he existed when he was playing, a new play-caller that loves the position could be all in on making him a focal point.

Steelers Have Plenty Of Trust To Gain Back On Offensive Side Of The Ball

One of the may reasons it's not exactly encouraging for fans that the team doesn't have a fortified wide receiver group is because of the lack of offensive explosion since 2021 when Canada took over. Smith is an experienced coach with plenty of success as a coordinator in Tennessee. The situation remains uneasy currently because doubling Pickens could lead to massive issues, but having Freiermuth's talents up Pittsburgh's sleeve could move mountains for the offense.