Pittsburgh Steelers, TE Pat Freiermuth agree to four-year, $48.4 million contract
The Pittsburgh Steelers and tight end Pat Freiermuth have agreed to terms on a four-year, $48.4 million contract extension, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Freiermuth, 25, gets his deal two days before the Week 1 road contest against the Atlanta Falcons and becomes the ninth highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
Freiermuth, the Steelers’ 2021 second round pick out of Penn State, has been steady in three seasons in Pittsburgh. He has appeared in 44 games, hauling in 155 receptions for 1,537 yards and 11 touchdowns. Freiermuth tallied a career-high 63 catches for 732 yards, to go along with two scores in 2022. He missed time in 2023 with a hamstring injury, catching 32 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns.
Healthy once again, Freiermuth projects to be one of quarterback Russell Wilson‘s preferred targets in 2024.
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Arthur Smith: Pat Freiermuth is a ‘unique player’
Freiermuth should fit nicely in Arthur Smith’s offense. In his final season in Atlanta, Falcons quarterbacks targeted tight ends 34% of the time. The Steelers have four tight ends on their 53-man roster, but Freiermuth will no doubt be the top dog and will compete with receiver George Pickens for primary targets.
“Pat is a unique player,” Smith said Thursday, via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He had a lot of early success in the league. He has a great feel in space. I’d imagine he was a great basketball player. There are certain guys who get it. They know how to find windows in zone, they know how to set up guys up in man. He has a really good feel as a tight end and a space player.”