Arthur Smith may play mad scientist with the tight ends in this year’s Steelers offense

On the first play of the popular “Seven Shots” drill at Steelers training camp last Wednesday, the offense broke the huddle with three tight ends. Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith approached the line of scrimmage, but none put their hand down in a traditional tight end alignment. In fact, none lined up anywhere near the football. The three players, who total just shy of 800 pounds, split out wide near the sideline in one of the biggest bunch sets ever assembled.

A stunned Joey Porter Jr, who was playing cornerback to that side of the field, motioned frantically to his fellow defenders to bump out and help him. DeShon Elliott and Jalen Ramsey eventually did, before the three tight ends were shifted into a more traditional bunch closer to the football. The Steelers proceeded to run a simple inside zone play to Jaylen Warren, who plunged into a pile of bodies and stretched the football across the goal line to earn the offense a point in the drill.

Warren’s run may not have been imaginative, but the initial alignment of the tight ends certainly was. It wasn’t a one-off for coordinator Arthur Smith that day, either. Later in the practice, he brought Freiermuth from the slot into the backfield, where he lined up in front of Warren with his hand in the ground like an old-school fullback. The Steelers then ran a zone insert scheme, with Freiermuth serving as the lead blocker.

The most interesting concept of the day, however, came when Smith put four tight ends and no running backs on the field. Connor Heyward joined Freiermuth, Washington and Jonnu Smith, plus receiver DK Metcalf, to form an unusual “04” personnel grouping. Jonnu Smith then motioned into the backfield, where he ran a check-release route on a quick passing concept. The Steelers ran that grouping the next day at practice, too, and handed Smith the ball on an outside run play. It has been used several times in subsequent practices as well.

What does this tell us about the man orchestrating these funky formations and unique groupings? We’ve known Arthur Smith has loved tight ends for years. He coached them in Tennessee before becoming coordinator, and as a former offensive lineman, he’s embraced a run-first mentality, particularly from tight end-heavy groupings.

In this sense, Smith is zigging as most of the league zags. The emphasis on 11-personnel spread sets on offense, which has been the norm in the NFL for more than a decade now, has prompted defenses to invest in lighter linebackers, nickel defenders, and players who can run sideline to sideline. Smith, with his multiple tight end groupings, is seeking to exploit that trend by putting bigger bodies on the field who can bully, out-muscle or simply mismatch those lighter defenses.

Sometimes, it’s worked. His unit in Tennessee was extremely 12-personnel heavy, and ranked among the best in the NFL for several seasons. In Atlanta, he had a solid pass-catching tight end in Kyle Pitts, but lacked depth at the position. Those units were not as good. Last season, with the Steelers, he led the league in 13-personnel usage, but the efficiency of the offense in big groupings wasn’t great.

This year, however, Smith may have one of the deepest and most diverse tight end rooms of his career, which could allow him to get as creative as his imagination will allow.

Start with Freiermuth. At 6’5-258 pounds, with good speed and solid route-running ability, he is the prototypical modern tight end. He can block, run and catch, and that skill set allows Smith to line him up almost anywhere in a formation. In last Wednesday’s practice alone, Freiermuth aligned out wide, in the slot, as an H-back, as a traditional tight end, and as a fullback. There aren’t many places left for Arthur Smith to put him, unless he wants to align him at tailback or under center. Freiermuth had the best season of his career statistically last season in Smith’s first campaign as coordinator. Clearly, Smith has big designs for Freiermuth this year as well.

Washington is a more traditional tight end, albeit bigger than just about anyone who has ever played the position. He is currently listed as 6’7-270, but is probably ten pounds heavier. Washington has slimmed down from a year ago, when he tipped the scales at close to 300 pounds, and his movement is noticeably smoother as a result. He is already a potent blocker, but has drawn accolades so far in camp for the development in his game as a receiver. Aaron Rodgers seems to like having a massive target to throw to, particularly in the red zone. With just 26 catches in his first two seasons, incorporating Washington more into the passing game would be a boon for the Pittsburgh offense.

Then there’s Jonnu Smith, a prized acquisition from the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade who has been a favorite player of Arthur Smith’s in both Tennessee and Atlanta. He may be the key to unlocking Smith’s creativity. Jonnu Smith’s high football IQ, and his ability to read coverage, make him a great target on option routes, which Rodgers has been known to favor. Smith is also deceptively fast for a player listed at 250 pounds, and his route-running for a tight end is elite. The fact Arthur Smith has already used Jonnu Smith like a running back shows the Steelers are dreaming up creative ways to deploy him. He could be one of the most important pieces of this offense as the season progresses.

Short of an upstart like J.J. Galbreath claiming the fourth tight end spot, Connor Heyward will round out the room. He’s an undersized tight end with running back experience who has never found a consistent role in the offense. Arthur Smith has already used both Freiermuth and linebacker Mark Robinson as a situational fullback in training camp, and this may ultimately be where Heyward’s value lies. If not, he still has shown he can be a reliable pass catcher and a solid special teams player.

When you put it all together, the varied skill sets of these four players, coupled with Arthur Smith’s fondness for tight ends, and the willingness he’s shown so far in camp to deploy them in unique ways, suggests the Steelers will challenge defenses by formation this season. Smith has the opportunity to play mad scientist with this group, and is likely to embrace it. Whether it results in a more successful offense than what we saw a year ago remains to be seen. It shouldn’t be boring, though. Not by a long shot.

For more of my work, follow me on X @KTSmithFFSN, and tune into my “Call Sheet Daily” podcast every Monday-Friday mornings on most major platforms.