Steelers double down on Arthur Smith's offense after signing TE Pat Freiermuth to contract extension
When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed offensive coordinator Arthur Smith this offseason, it signaled two things: A lot of running the football, and a lot of throwing to tight ends. Those two factors are not mutually exclusive, and now TE Pat Freiermuth is set to be the biggest beneficiary of the Steelers hire, both on the […]
When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed offensive coordinator Arthur Smith this offseason, it signaled two things:
A lot of running the football, and a lot of throwing to tight ends.
Those two factors are not mutually exclusive, and now TE Pat Freiermuth is set to be the biggest beneficiary of the Steelers hire, both on the field and within his bank account:
Steelers Extend Pat Freiermuth
Freiermuth was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Penn State, recording 155 receptions, for over 1500 yards and 11 TDs in his career. Those numbers would have likely been inflated if he didn't miss the majority of the 2023 season with injury.
We saw Freiermuth play the best game of his career against the Bengals when returning to health last season, catching nine passes for 120 yards and showing the NFL world the weapon he can be when featured in the offense.
So for the salary he is set to receive and the potential he has shown, I would say this is a win-win for both the organization and player. The Steelers are looking to run bigger personnel packages on the regular with Darnell Washington as the road grader in the tight end group.
Splitting Freiermuth out and allowing him to do what he does best as a pass catcher makes the most sense for him and the team, especially in a new-look offense where OC Arthur Smith deploys multiple tight-end personnel groupings on the regular, something that was on full display come day one of training camp.
A to Z Sports free agency experts, Kyle DeDiminicantanio, and Josh Queipo estimated that Freiermuth would receive a three-year, 30.5 million dollar extension, with $12.5m guaranteed, citing recent tight end deals and production levels:
"[Seattle Seahawks TE Noah] Fant just signed an extension with the Seahawks for two years and $21 million making him the 11th-highest-paid tight end in the NFL. That would be a solid model for a deal between Freiermuth and the Steelers. Pittsburgh should want the extension to be more than two years (likely three, keeping him under contract through 2027. The total for that deal would be three years and $31.5 million.
Kyle DeDiminicantanio, Josh Queipo, A to Z Sports
Freiermuth shattered all projections, with Pittsburgh looking to lock him up for the long haul and with considerable compensation over a four-year deal on top of the final year on his rookie deal:
At only 25 years old and set to become a feature for the first time in his pro career, if Freiermuth can remain healthy, this deal will be looking like a bargain before Christmas is here.