The Kansas City Chiefs are on the outside looking in this postseason - a sentence we haven’t said since 2014. After a 6-11 finish to a frustrating 2025 campaign, the defending Super Bowl champions are heading into the offseason with more questions than answers, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the Chiefs’ offense never found its rhythm this year. Even before Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL, the unit looked out of sync.
They ranked 20th in total yards per game and managed just 38 touchdowns across 17 weeks. For a team that’s been the gold standard of offensive firepower over the past half-decade, those numbers are a stark drop-off.
One of the biggest issues? Mahomes didn’t have a reliable go-to target outside of Travis Kelce - and even Kelce’s long-term future is starting to feel uncertain.
With the wide receiver room offering more questions than solutions and the tight end depth chart thin behind Kelce, Kansas City needs to find a new security blanket for Mahomes. Enter: Pat Freiermuth.
The Pittsburgh Steelers tight end might just be the ideal trade target for the Chiefs this offseason.
Freiermuth is coming off a down year by his standards. He hauled in just 41 catches - the lowest total of his career in any season where he played at least 16 games - and was on the field for only 51% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps. That’s a surprisingly low number for one of the league’s highest-paid tight ends, and it's clear he felt the frustration.
“I would say that I am disappointed with the lack of opportunities I was given,” Freiermuth said during locker room cleanout day. “But, at the end of the day, I’m a team player.
I was proud of myself for not making it about myself. It’s always about the team and what we can do to win.
I feel like I could have been in situations where I could help the team win.”
That’s the kind of competitor you want in your locker room - someone who’s frustrated for the right reasons. Freiermuth believes he can contribute more, and frankly, he’s probably right. The Steelers’ offense was anything but stable this season, and with Pittsburgh likely heading into 2026 with yet another new starting quarterback - their sixth in as many years - it’s fair to wonder if Freiermuth might be open to a fresh start elsewhere.
For the Chiefs, this isn’t just about adding another pass-catcher. It’s about planning for the future.
Travis Kelce has been the heartbeat of Kansas City’s offense for years, but at this stage of his career, the Chiefs need to start thinking about life after No. 87.
Freiermuth could be the bridge between eras - a physical, sure-handed tight end who can work the middle of the field and give Mahomes a reliable outlet when the play breaks down.
He’s not Kelce - few are - but in Andy Reid’s system, Freiermuth’s skill set could flourish. He’s shown he can be a weapon in the red zone, and with Mahomes under center, his ceiling could rise significantly.
If Freiermuth is indeed looking for a bigger role and the Steelers are open to reshaping their roster, Kansas City should be dialing up Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan sooner rather than later. The Chiefs need to retool, not rebuild - and adding a proven, motivated tight end like Freiermuth would be a smart step in the right direction.