Category: Pat Freiermuth

Jason Kelce takes playful jab at Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth on ‘New Heights’ podcast

NFL legend Jason Kelce took a playful jab at Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth on the recent “New Heights” podcast. 

NFL legend Jason Kelce didn’t hold back during the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast, where he took a playful jab at Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth.

“I think Pat Freiermuth is a hell of a tight end. I think he’s doing a tremendous job,” Kelce said.

While Kelce started with high praise for Freiermuth’s talent and contributions, his attempt at humor veered into an awkward dig. “I think he needs to work on his footwork; a little bit clumsy-footed. Sometimes, when I watch him play, he looks like a Freiersouth, not a Freiermuth. I don’t even know where the f–k I’m going with this.”

Travis Kelce, as a fellow tight end, stepped in with a more measured and thoughtful analysis.

“Pat’s one of my favorite tight ends to watch. man. He’s savvy in his route running. He’s very quarterback-friendly, which he knows angles coming out to where he knows he can get a guaranteed catch. Quarterbacks love it when you come out of your breaks with certain angles. He does a great job of feeling voids like that and feeling how he needs to get in and out of breaks.”

“On top of that, he’s just a tough football player, man. I think he embodies the Steeler kind of way to play… that toughness that you got to play with, man. He’s willing to stick his face in the fan and do whatever he needs to do for his team.”

Freiermuth has 47 catches on 56 targets for 492 yards and six touchdowns. He’s on pace to surpass his career-high seven touchdowns from his 2021 rookie season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers TE sheds light on mysterious George Pickens Week 14 situation

Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth shares how he learned of WR George Pickens’ puzzling Week 14 absence, raising more questions.

Following the Steelers’ Week 14 victory, more details surrounding head coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to sit wide receiver George Pickens are beginning to emerge, starting with the moment Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth found out about the situation.

ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor wrote an interesting article highlighting the moment Freiermuth discovered his team would be without their best playmaker on offense, which actually left more questions than answers regarding Pickens’ availability in Week 14.

Pickens popped up on Friday’s injury report as limited with a hamstring injury. However, it was expected that Pickens would be healthy enough to play, and his inactive designation surprised everyone—including Freiermuth, who reportedly found out through the most unlikely of all sources: his father.

Luckily for Tomlin and his strange decision to make Pickens inactive, the Steelers’ offense managed to score 27 points on the Cleveland Browns’ defense. Gameday roster decisions are likely above Freiermuth’s pay grade, but providing the offense with details surrounding the team’s star player should have been on Tomlin’s checklist for the day.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Freiermuth could breakout on MNF’s belated National Tight Ends Day

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth will be celebrating National Tightends Day one day late, as Pittsburgh headlines Monday Night Football.

Tight ends around the league were truly celebrating their day on October 27th.  National Tight Ends Day, falling on the fourth Sunday in October, went off with a bang in Week 8.  Several elite tight end performances were showcased across the NFL, such as Tampa Bay’s Cade Otton, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, San Francisco’s George Kittle, Arizona’s Trey McBride, and Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts, just to name a few.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end Pat Freiermuth missed out on the celebration, as Pittsburgh didn’t have the opportunity to play on Sunday, and  instead host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

Freiermuth hasn’t had the breakout season fans were hoping for the young TE, and has only gone over 50-yards receiving twice in 2024 thus far.

Steelers QB Russell Wilson provides elite-level signal calling and could provide Friermuth an opportunity to dominate on his belated celebration of National Tight Ends day.

Will Freiermuth finally have his breakout game in 2024?  While the Giants may present a potential trap game for the Steel City, the Pittsburgh tight end could see additional targets and splash play opportunities heading into his positional unit’s belated celebration on MNF.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Stats suggest Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth could open 2024 season on high note

PFF stats suggest Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth could open the season on a high note, if one player doesn’t rain on his parade.

Predictions and forecasts have been made, but no one truly knows what to expect from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. Several coaching staff changes have made it nearly impossible.

One of the significant staff changes is coordinator Arthur Smith, who historically runs a tight-end friendly offensive. Pat Freiermuth will be the beneficiary if that’s how the season plays out.

Pro Football Focus stats suggest Freiermuth could open the season on a high note — if one player doesn’t rain on his parade. Strong safety Justin Simmons, who the Falcons added on Aug. 18, is one of the best at his position in reading quarterbacks and defending tight ends. Simmons is entering his ninth season, eight of which were with Russell Wilson‘s former Denver Broncos team.

An April tweet by former Steelers great Antonio Brown tied Simmons to the Black and Gold, but having DeShon Elliot on the roster made it a long shot.

https://twitter.com/PFF_Steelers/status/1830716255294124268

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Is Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth about to get paid?

Pittsburgh Steelers Te Pat Freiermuth is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.

Like Najee Harris and Cam Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is heading into the final year of his current contract. Freiermuth is on the rookie deal that he signed after Pittsburgh took him 55th overall in the 2021 NFL draft.

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith loves him some tight ends, and that could result in Freiermuth having the best season since 2022 when he put up 732 yards and two scores. In 2021, his yardage was lower at 432, but he found paydirt seven times with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm.

“Based on football in shorts, the Steelers might give Pat Freiermuth a contract extension tomorrow,” Mark Kaboly, Steelers insider for The Athletic, wrote on June 7. “It has been well documented how Smith likes to use tight ends in his offense, and that was evident at OTAs.”

Though it’s just offseason workouts, Kaboly noted Freiermuth’s increased usage. “Freiermuth was not only targeted often, but he looked like a legitimate playmaker in this offense.”

It remains to be seen whether that indicates Freiermuth will be sticking around Pittsburgh while, but it could be on the horizon.

“Me and my agent are going to keep it close to the vest about that,” he told Kaboly.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth makes career intentions known

As most players in the Black and Gold do, Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth wants to remain with the team for the long haul.

As most players in the Black and Gold do, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth wants to remain with the team for the long haul.

“I want to be in Pittsburgh for the rest of my career,” Freiermuth said on the Wednesday episode of the 412 Podcast.

“Hopefully, it shakes out that way. I want to continue to play for Pittsburgh because it reminds me of where I’m from and how I was raised. Growing up and going through the hard times and good times together. I feel like the Pittsburgh media and fanbase and everyone kind of does that together. I feel very at peace and very comfortable in Pittsburgh.”

Of the nine players in the Steelers 2021 draft class, only four remain: Najee Harris, Freiermuth, Dan Moore Jr. and Isaiahh Loudermilk. As a first-round pick, Pittsburgh has until May 2 to decide on Harris’ fifth-year option. The Steelers typically re-up players with one year left on their contracts, so we could see what general manager Omar Khan opts to do with Freiermuth this offseason.

Freiermuth might be best waiting it out, though. Like most players in Pittsburgh’s 2023 offense, he had a down season. He missed five games, managing just 308 yards and two scores after a career 732-yard season in 2022. If Freiermuth can put up numbers closer to 2022, he could be in for a decent payday.

New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could want to see what he can do in 2024 before the Steelers offer an extension anyway. Looking at what fourth-overall selection Kyle Pitts did under Smith is not comforting. He produced 2,049 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons.

In his first season as offensive coordinator with the Tennesee Titans, Jonnu Smith had a successful 2020 season with 448 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2019, Smith and Corey Davis combined for 1,040 yards and five scores.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers 2024 offseason roster – Linebacker

Here are all the Steelers linebackers currently on the roster heading into the offseason.

Last season the Pittsburgh Steelers had to deal with a mix of highs and lows from the linebacker position. At outside linebacker, T.J. Watt led the league in sacks but as inside linebacker, injuries rocked the depth chart.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin feels good about Pat Freiermuth return vs. Browns

Kenny Pickett had some real chemistry working with Pat Freiermuth to start the season, and since he’s been sidelined, he hasn’t quite found it with any other receiver. 

Kenny Pickett had some real chemistry working with Pat Freiermuth to start the season, and since he’s been sidelined, Pickett hasn’t quite found it with any other receiver.

It appears Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers could have him back for Sunday’s critical divisional matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

In his press conference today, Mike Tomlin updated Freiermuth’s status, saying that he feels “good” about his tight end being activated from injured reserve this week.

“I feel good about Pat Freiermuth. We’ll watch him go through the week and look at the quality of his work and the amount of it and how he feels and let that be a determining factor but feel good about his potential availability.”

Freiermuth initially injured his hamstring in the team’s ugly Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans. It appeared he was ready to roll for Pittsburgh’s game Oct. 22 Los Angeles Rams, but the Steelers placed him on injured reserve the day before the game after he aggravated the injury in practice.

Having Freiermuth back could be just the boost that Pickett needs. For as little scoring as the Steelers did (and have done in his absence), Freiermuth was a significant part, responsible for two of their four offensive touchdowns.

Hamstring injuries have run rampant in the Steelers locker room. Diontae Johnson returned from IR as Freiermuth went on, and Minkah Fitzpatrick is at risk of missing his third consecutive game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers could get Pat Freiermuth back in time for big Browns brawl

If it seems like Pat Freiermuth has been out forever, it’s because he has.

If it seems like Pat Freiermuth has been out forever, it’s because he has — half of the season, in fact. The Pittsburgh Steelers tight end initially injured his hamstring in the team’s ugly Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans.

It appeared he was ready to roll for Pittsburgh’s Oct. 22 Los Angeles Rams game, but his hamstring had other plans. The Steelers placed Freiermuth on injured reserve on Oct. 21 after reaggravating the injury in Oct. 19 practice.

Preparation for the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 19 will mark four weeks sidelined for Freiermuth. Per Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com, he plans to return to practice next week, the first time he is eligible to be activated from IR. If things go better than last time — “I don’t want to jinx it” — he’ll suit up for the big Browns brawl.

And it could be just the boost that Kenny Pickett needs. For as little scoring as the Steelers did (and have done in his absence), Freiermuth was a significant part — responsible for two of their four offensive touchdowns.

Hamstring injuries have run rampant in the Steelers locker room. Diontae Johnson returned from IR as Freiermuth went on, and today’s game is the second Minkah Fitzpatrick has missed.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

5 things Pat Freiermuth’s injury means for the Pittsburgh Steelers

With Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth Pat Freiermuth comes adjustments that’ll need to be made on the fly.

It was anticipated that the Pittsburgh Steelers would return from their Week 6 bye a fully healthy team (save Cam Heyward), but Pat Freiermuth‘s hamstring had other plans.

The team placed the veteran tight end on injured reserve Saturday. He’ll be sidelined for the next four games and could return for Pittsburgh’s critical road brawl with the Cleveland Browns in Week 11.

The news is huge for the offense, as Freiermuth was responsible for half of the team’s offensive scores.

Here are four things his injury could mean for the Pittsburgh Steelers going forward.