Alfredo Roberts is in his fifth year as the team's tight ends coach. He was hired on Jan. 25, 2021.
Roberts, who starts his 27th year of coaching overall, guided Pat Freiermuth and a quartet of tight ends in 2024. Freiermuth led the Steelers in receptions with 65 for 653 yards and a team-best seven TDs. His reception total was tied for eighth-most among NFL tight ends, while his TD total was tied for fourth-most at the position. As a group, the tight ends caught 96 passes for 933 yards and 10 TDs, a big uptick from the 2023 season when they combined for just 62 catches for 536 yards and two scores..
Roberts managed a position group beset by injuries in 2023. Freiermuth, who was placed on the Reserve/Injured List following Week 4 at Houston, returned to the lineup in Week 11 at Cleveland. He finished the season with 32 receptions for 308 yards (9.6 avg.) and two TDs, but recorded the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with nine receptions for 120 yards (both career highs) in Week 12 at Cincinnati. His 120 yards receiving were the 10th-most by a tight end in the NFL in 2023, and his 120 yards receiving and nine receptions were the third-most and fifth-most, respectively, by a tight end in franchise history.
Freiermuth's 220 receptions and 2,190 receiving yards are each the most by a tight end in franchise history over their first four years in the NFL. His 18 TD catches are the third-most by a tight end in franchise history over their first four years in the NFL.
In 2022, Roberts saw another year of success from Freiermuth, who despite injuries, finished the season sixth in receptions (63) and receiving yards (732) among all NFL tight ends. His 63 catches also ranked fourth-most by a tight end in a single season in franchise history.
In 2021, Roberts led a tight ends room headlined by Freiermuth, who finished his debut season setting a franchise record for receptions by a rookie tight end (60) and receiving yards by a rookie tight end (497). His seven touchdowns accounted for almost as many as his entire tight end draft class combined (8). In addition, third-year tight end Zach Gentry saw his production increase greatly with 167 receiving yards.
Roberts spent the previous four seasons with the L.A. Chargers as their running backs coach (2017-19) and tight ends coach (2020). He also has made stops in Indianapolis (2012-15), Tampa Bay (2009-11), Cleveland (2007-08) and Jacksonville (2003-06).
Over his 16 seasons coaching in the NFL, Roberts has mentored multiple Pro Bowl players at tight end and running back, as well as All-Rookie honors for tight end Dwayne Allen in 2012.
Roberts coached running back Melvin Gordon III in 2018 to his second Pro Bowl. Gordon III registered 1,375 scrimmage yards. He surpassed 1,300 yards from scrimmage for the third consecutive season. Fullback Derek Watt was also named a third alternate for the Pro Bowl.
As tight ends coach in Indianapolis for four seasons, he tutored both Allen and Coby Fleener, who became the first pair of tight ends in NFL history to each have eight or more TD receptions in a season (2014). Roberts also coached former Colts starting tight end, Jack Doyle.
In 2003, Roberts accepted his first NFL position as the tight ends coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, guiding Marcedes Lewis as a rookie.
Roberts began his coaching career in 1998 at Florida Atlantic University. He spent the first two years recruiting prior to the program's inaugural season in 2000. Roberts coached tight ends for two seasons (2000-01) before coaching the Owls' wide receivers in 2002.
Roberts was an eighth-round pick by Kansas City in the 1988 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons with the Chiefs before joining Dallas in 1991. Roberts was part of two Super Bowl championship teams in Dallas (1992 and '93). He played in every game for five consecutive seasons. Roberts finished his career with 50 catches for 476 yards and two TDs in 82 career games.
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Roberts graduated from the University of Miami, where he was a member of two national championship teams as a tight end. Roberts played on five bowl teams for the Hurricanes, including two Orange Bowls, two Fiesta Bowls and one Sugar Bowl.
