Now in offseason mode following their 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ attention will shift to evaluating their roster and coming up with a plan of attack for free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft. Here is a list of the players scheduled to hit free agency with many of them unrestricted and free to negotiate with whomever reaches out.
The work isn’t limited to just that list, however, as the Steelers typically make the decision to extend players with one year remaining on their contract. That group of players will include TE Pat Freiermuth.
During Tuesday’s locker room media availability, Freiermuth was asked about his future.
“I love Pittsburgh. I wanna play here the rest of my career,” Freiermuth said in a transcribed quote by Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via X. “But that’s not really what I’m thinking about right now.”
It is tough for players to shift into the offseason so abruptly after spending several months on a daily grind, but Freiermuth’s contract situation will be a top priority to figure out in March.
Selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Freiermuth quickly found himself as one of QB Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite targets in his rookie season. He slightly progressed from a numbers standpoint in 2022 before an injury-riddled 2023 season took a hit on his production.
In his career, he has appeared in 44 regular-season games. He has 155 receptions on 224 targets for 1,537 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2023, he had a career-low in all categories with 32 receptions on 47 targets for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Partially because of his injuries and partially because the Steelers utilized their tight ends at historically low rates for the franchise.
There were multiple games this season where Freiermuth was healthy but received one or fewer targets. Outside of the playoff game on Sunday, he only broke the 50-yard mark in a game one time in 2023. The fact that he loves Pittsburgh and wants to be with the organization for his entire career speaks volumes about the type of unselfish teammate and player he is.
The tight end market received a boost last offseason as players like Cole Kmet and T.J. Hockenson received high-paying extensions. Steelers Depot’s very own Dave Bryan will soon begin his free agency primer, including projected contract values for all of the Steelers’ top free agents. Freiermuth’s situation will be an interesting one to watch.
