It’s only been six days for Pat Freiermuth. Three informal practices in shorts and no shoulders.

But it gets a little more involved this week when the Steelers’ three-day minicamp begins Tuesday. So far, the fifth-year tight end likes what he is seeing. And, more important, maybe how much he will be used in 2026.

“I like my role in the offense,” Freiermuth said. “I see my role increasing for sure. But I have to show up every single day and earn what I want my role to be.”

For a player who is getting married shortly after minicamp, this might be a new honeymoon for him, as well.

And that will be a good thing.

Mike McCarthy’s tight ends have always been a productive part of his offense. In his previous five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, his leading tight end averaged 65.6 catches, which was typically second on the team. Jake Ferguson had 71 catches in 2023 and Dalton Schultz had 78 in 2021.

Can that happen with Freiermuth?

“I feel the opportunity for that to be possible,” Freiermuth said.

It would be a stretch to say Freiermuth disappeared in the Steelers offense in 2025. But it would not be a mistake to say he was largely ignored — both in targets and, worse, snaps. Especially after he was given a new five-year, $49.88 million contract in 2024 that made him the ninth highest-paid tight end in the NFL.

Freiermuth had only 41 catches for 486 yards in 2025, despite being healthy for every game. Those were his lowest totals in any of the three previous seasons in which he played at least 16 games. He was targeted 54 times, same as Jonnu Smith, who was released after the season.

Those numbers were far below other tight ends in the league. Freiermuth ranked 29th in receptions, 27th in targets and 24th in receiving yards at his position in 2025.

Freiermuth’s totals, however, were largely a byproduct of not being used enough.

He played only 50.6% of the snaps in Arthur Smith’s offense — fewest of all three tight ends. That is a big drop-off from averaging 63.7% of the snaps in three of his four seasons in which he played at least 16 games.

But Freiermuth, a second-round pick from Penn State in 2021, never complained. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers lauded Freiermuth on several unsolicited occasions last season about his tight end’s professional attitude.

“It’s obviously tough,” Freiermuth said. “I play this sport because of my competitive nature, my drive to be the best I can be. But I’ll take a division title and a home playoff game over stats that people will look back on and not even remember my stats for that season. They’ll just look at that we won the division. That’s all that really matters to me.”

That should change this season.

Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, who evolved a short-yardage favorite for Rodgers last season, are the only pure tight ends on the roster — one fewer than last season.

Even though the Steelers drafted Indiana tight end Riley Nowakowski on the fifth round, McCarthy intends to use him primarily as a fullback. A big proponent of a two-back offense, McCarthy said there have been occasions where he kept three fullbacks on the 53-man offense.

Still, that doesn’t mean Nowakowski can’t be used as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, giving the offense an added dimension.

“I think if you have a system that cannot utilize the strength and the personnel that’s available, then I think you have to take a hard look at your system,” McCarthy said. “I’ve started my journey in coaching in the two-back offense, I still believe the principle of it and still teach from the foundation of two-back offense.”

McCarthy said fullbacks have largely disappeared in the NFL because of roster development that requires some players to be able to play special teams. Other than short-yardage situations, Mike Tomlin rarely used a fullback.

“The fullback-tight end position of versatility, position, scheme, skill set and flexibility is important for those groups. I think it’s an important position. I think it’s part of playing Pittsburgh Steelers football. We will definitely tilt that way.”