Freiermuth caught his only target for two yards in Thursday's 28-9 preseason win over the Packers.
QB Aaron Rodgers wasn't under center in the Steelers' exhibition opener, while the team's top two wideouts DK Metcalf (undisclosed) and Michael Pittman (leg) were sidelined, but top tight ends Freiermuth and Darnell Washington both made cameos in the contest. Freiermuth's lone catch came just short of the goal line, as Mason Rudolph found him on a 4th-and-3 early in the second quarter. The 27-year-old saw his receiving numbers decline in 2025, and while significant competition for targets went out the door this offseason in Jonnu Smith and Kenneth Gainwell, the addition of Pittman as a possession receiver could put a ceiling on how much Freiermuth is able to bounce back.