​The dream of a New England Patriots-style dual tight end system has been a tantalizing wish for many Pittsburgh Steelers fans. Unfortunately, the roster points to a different, more localized destiny.Steelers analyst Christopher Carter acknowledges the dynamic potential of Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, but he quickly dispels the notion of replicating Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez’s prolific 2,400-yard, 25-touchdown output.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementInstead of hunting for raw yardage, the Steelers must unleash their tight ends in a specific role where their size makes them absolute bullies: the red zone.On his “Locked on Steelers” podcast, Carter pointed out that last year, the Steelers’ offense sputtered in tight spaces, ranking 18th in the league by turning just 56.6% of red-zone trips into touchdowns. To become a serious contender, that number has to rise, and the blueprints of Freiermuth’s and Washington’s careers provide the exact remedy.As Carter highlighted, the bulk of their scoring output is already concentrated inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.”20 of Freiermuth’s 22 career touchdowns have been in the red zone. Both of Darnell Washington’s two career touchdowns have also been in the red zone. And that to me is where if the Steelers tight ends are going to make their hay, if they’re actually if they’re going to have that big season. They’re going to be dangerous in the red zone.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith playmakers like DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. carrying the burden of moving the chain down the field, Freiermuth and Washington don’t need to be “yard monsters” to redefine this offense. When the field shrinks, their physical stature becomes a defensive nightmare.”They’re going to be the guys that bully people in when you’re inside the 10 when you’re inside the 20 and just either they’re going up and getting the football and there’s nothing you could do about it because they’re just too big and too tall or they’re catching the ball short of the end zone and they’re powering through to get into the end zone,” said Carter.For a Steelers offense desperate to convert field goals into touchdowns, a steady diet of end-zone fades and physical mismatches is the ultimate solution.This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why the Steelers must unleash red zone bully ball in 2026