Tag: Pat Freiermuth

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.

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Best photos of former Penn State stars in the NFL’s Week 6

Check out some of the best photos of Saquon Barkley and Chris Godwin and others from the NFL’s Week 6.

Penn State continues to be represented well at the next level in the National Football League, and some of the program’s top offensive players in recent years took a part in helping their respective teams pick up a win this weekend.

[autotag]Chris Godwin[/autotag] had a big week to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blow out the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. Godwin had 11 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the 51-27 road win and improved to 4-2.

Saquon Barkley did not have a big day in the stat sheet for the Philadelphia Eagles, who edged the lowly Cleveland Browns by four points at home. But Barkley did carry the football 18 times for 47 yards and caught two passes for seven yards in a pretty sluggish day for the Birds.

Here are some of the best photos from this past weekend of NFL action with some of Penn State’s finest performing at the next level.

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Derwin James on playing style after suspension: ‘I ain’t going to change s***’

Derwin James is one of the hardest-hitting players in the league and he doesn’t plan on changing that, even after getting suspended.

Derwin James was suspended for this past Sunday’s game against the Chiefs for repeated violations of the playing rules.

The hard-hitting safety returned to practice Wednesday and said that the punishment he received would not force him to change his playing style.

“No, it ain’t going to change s**,” James said, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “It’s definitely not going to change nothing. Like I said, I’m just going to go lower. I’m not going to change.”

James will focus on hitting players underneath where they are holding the ball.

“I’m not going to keep paying 700, 800 thousand [dollars],” James added.

James was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty and suspension for a hit he made on Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth in Week 3. He appealed the suspension, but hearing officer Derrick Brooks upheld it.

James has five unnecessary roughness penalties in his past 18 games, the most by a defensive player in that time span. All were to the head with his shoulder or helmet.

James will return to the playing field in Week 5 when the Chargers travel to Denver to face the Broncos.

In three games, James has 21 tackles and a sack.

Steelers TE speaks at appeal hearing for Chargers safety

Pat Freiermuth tried to help out Chargers S Derwin James.

This week the Los Angeles Chargers will be without star safety Derwin James. James is serving a one-game suspension for repeated violations concerning repeated hits that were deemed illegal by the league.

The hit in question that put it over the top for the NFL was a hit on Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth in Week Two. You can check out the play in the tweet below.

Freiermuth spoke at James’ appeal hearing on his behalf telling the NFL he did not believe the hit was dirty. The league listened but it did not sway them and James still must serve his one-game suspension.

https://twitter.com/_MLFootball/status/1839716133068280302

The Steelers understand how this can work. Safety Damontae Kazee was suspended for the final three games of the 2023 season after a hit on Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. which the league said was one of repeated violations. Kazee appealed but the suspension was upheld.

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Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth came to defense of suspended Chargers safety

Los Angeles Chargers’ Derwin James was denied in his appeal of a suspension stemming from a hit on Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth.

Two fines came from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 4 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers: Steelers tight end Darnell Washington and Chargers safety Derwin James.

Washington is appealing a $6,000 fine for an illegal crackback block, but there’s no word as to whether it was upheld.

James was suspended without pay for one game for “repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players” after lowering his head on a hit on Pat Freiermuth.

James did appeal the ruling but was denied. According to Pat McAfee, Freiermuth was on the appeal call and came to Derwin’s defense, saying he didn’t believe the hit to be dirty.

This marks James’ first suspension, but he was fined $65,565 in 2023 for unnecessary roughness penalties and hits to defenseless players.

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Jim Harbaugh voices disappointment over Derwin James’ one-game suspension

Jim Harbaugh is not pleased with Derwin James’ one-game suspension by the NFL.

Jim Harbaugh is not pleased with Derwin James’ one-game suspension by the NFL.

James was suspended by the league on Monday for a hit to Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth in the third quarter of the Chargers’ 20-10 loss this past Sunday. He was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

“There was not a defenseless player; [he] changed his course, and I thought that Derwin’s helmet was stiff-armed by Mr. Freiermuth,” Harbaugh said. “I thought [the stiff-arm] caused his head to make the contact and I thought the contact was first with the forearm, then the shoulder, then the head.”

James’s appeal was upheld by hearing officer Derrick Brooks, who is jointly appointed by the NFL and NFL Players’ Association. As a result, he will miss this weekend’s game against the Chiefs.

James has five unnecessary roughness penalties in his past 18 games, which are the most in the league by a defensive player. All were to the head with his shoulder or helmet.

Harbaugh said that James has made an effort to avoid these penalties.

“He has reached out on his own to officials this past summer to gain a better grasp of how they want it done,” he said. “And the evidence is right there in the tape. I mean, look at all his 20-some tackles on the season and he’s going out his way … so that he can not injure another player or hit him with the head. So yeah, I’m disappointed.”

While James is sidelined this weekend, Elijah Molden would be in line to start opposite Alohi Gilman. They also have AJ Finley and Tony Jefferson will likely be promoted from the practice squad.

Best photos of Penn State in the NFL, Week 1

Saquon Barkley put on a show in his debut with the Eagles. Other Penn State alums shined as well.

The NFL is back in session with Week 1 officially in the books at the next level. And it was a grand debut for former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley wiht his new team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Barley scored three touchdowns in his Eagles debut to help lead his new team to a victory over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil on Friday night.

Barkley lit up social media with his performance by becoming just the second player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in his Eagles debut. Barkley joined Terrell Owens in owning that distinction. In his entire time with the New York Giants, Barkley had two games in which he scored three touchdowns. It is safe to say things are off to a great start for Barkley in his new home.

Other former Nittany Lions were busy in action as the NFL got the year started off. Here are some of the best photos of former Nittany Lions around the NFL’s opening weekend.

Former Penn State player signs massive NFL contract extension

Pat Freiermuth remains a big part of the Steelers’ plans.

Throughout [autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag]’s time with Penn State, just about everyone inside and outside the program knew he would be continuing his career at the professional ranks in the National Football League.

Coming in as a four-star recruit, he had massive shoes to fill after [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] left for the NFL after the 2017 season and had become one of the most prolific tight ends in Penn State’s history.

Freiermuth was able to step in and immediately produce, putting up 368 yards and eight touchdowns on 26 receptions in his true freshman year. By the time he turned professional ahead of the 2021 draft, the Massachusetts native set the all-time record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end (16) and had the third-most receiving yards by a Nittany Lions tight end (1,185).

One could only wonder what numbers he would have put up if he hadn’t been reduced to four games in the 2020 season because of an injury, but his body of work was enough to garner massive interest by NFL teams.

That resulted in him being selected in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, keeping him in Pennsylvania with another legendary football operation.

Freiermuth was able to play with future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in his rookie year, catching 60 balls for 497 yards and seven scores.

And even though some of his production has dropped off a bit the past two seasons with totals of 1,040 yards and just four touchdowns, the Steelers think highly enough of him to lock him up with a lucrative contract extension.

ESPN reported he agreed to a four-year, $48.4 million extension to keep him in Pittsburgh during his prime seasons.

He could be inline for a monster year with the Steelers hiring offensive coordinator Arthur Smith who heavily features tight ends in his scheme, setting up perfectly for Freiermuth to be both a blocker and productive pass catcher.

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Steelers insider shares financials of Pat Feiermuth’s new contract

The Steelers wrapped up Pat Freiermuth’s new contract just days before the team’s first game.

Shortly after practice ended on Friday for the Pittsburgh Steelers, tight end Pat Freiermuth got the call in the locker room that the Steelers and his representatives had worked out a new five-year contract that has a full value of $49.88 million. This is according to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac.

In this case, Freiermuth had one year left on his deal so while it was called a four-year extension, they just tore up his old deal and created a new five-year contract making him one of the 10 highest-paid tight ends in the NFL. The contract includes $23.38 million in guaranteed money.

https://twitter.com/gerrydulac/status/1832110728322674828

The Steelers selected Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. Freiermuth’s career best in receptions (63) and receiving yards (732) was in 2021. We expect him to be a significant part of the new Pittsburgh passing game with this new contract.

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Steelers sign TE Pat Freiermuth to huge new contract

The Steelers locked up starting tight end Pat Freiermuth.

According to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, the Pittsburgh Steelers and tight end Pat Freiermuth have agreed to a new four-year contract for the tight end with a total value of $48 million.

The new contract, as reported by Firemeuth’s representation comes just two days before the Steelers first regular-season game and the Steelers personal deadline for negotiating with free agents.

Freiermuth figures to be a huge part of the Steelers passing offense this season under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Friermuth has been underutilized throughout his career so this payday might be the sign the team is planning to make him a focal point of the passing game.

Earlier in the week the Steelers agreed to a new massive contract with defensive tackle Cam Heyward. Heyward and Freiermuth were the team’s top priorities but there are still several guys set to hit free agency in 2025 who don’t have new deals.

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