Player: TE Pat Freiermuth
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Fourth-year TE Pat Freiermuth is potentially one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Pittsburgh Steelers hiring Arthur Smith. The new offensive coordinator makes the most of his tight ends, just in time for Freiermuth’s contract year. He has reportedly put in work this offseason to improve his speed and durability as well.
Pat Freiermuth may well want to wait on a new contract extension. While some speculate that he will sign one this offseason, now seems like a good time to bet on himself. He has a new offensive coordinator and new quarterback in an offense focused on tight ends. It’s a recipe for a career year, and potentially a much bigger contract in 2025.
New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith uses more tight ends than anybody. He uses them in all sorts of roles, however, so Freiermuth knows he needs to bring his A game as a blocker. That is not something he has managed to do reliably throughout his career.
But if he plays in an offense that continually rewards him, he may find more motivation to do so. The contract year alone should be motivation enough, granted. But without a clear No. 2 WR, Freiermuth is also now a primary target in the passing game.
Freiermuth recently talked about spending time this offseason working with speed and movement and other private coaches to work on his body. He believes he has gotten faster and smoother and has worked to reduce the risk of injury. He has changed his diet and exercise and has worked to move more purposefully to aid in durability.
I don’t know that we will see him record a 1,000-yard season or anything like that. After all, QB Russell Wilson hasn’t necessarily leaned on his tight ends as receivers, historically. But there are plenty of reasons to think that 2024 should be Pat Freiermuth’s best season.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
