Training camp is right around the corner. Which means two things.
1. Is anyone hurt, and will anyone begin on the Active/PUP?
2. What is the contract status of extension candidates? For those who don’t have a new deal in hand by July 25th’s first practice, who will hold in and leverage their situation?
There are three prime candidates to receive new deals: TE Pat Freiermuth, DL Cam Heyward, and RB Najee Harris. All have their different elements in search of a contract. Freiermuth, the most “normal” situation in the final year of his rookie deal, Heyward trying to squeeze out one more deal (with the structure of any extension critical), and Harris, having his fifth-year option declined in May but the door not closed on an extension.
Before speculating any further, to make it clear, I’m not against hold-ins. They’re just a reality of football, and players have the right to advocate for themselves and use the tools they have at their disposal to secure a new contract. Now that actual holdouts are only limited to rare situations (i.e., franchise-tagged players who haven’t signed and aren’t subject to daily fines), hold-ins are the card players can pull. It protects them from injury and makes it clear to the organization and, more importantly, the public that they want a new deal. No issue with any player who exercises that option.
Assume none of them ink a deal before camp. Who is most likely to hold on? Let’s roll through the names.
TE Pat Freiermuth – Freiermuth is the most likely to receive an extension. He is in his prime and in the last year of his rookie deal. He is coming off an injury-marred 2023 coupled with an ugly passing offense, making a long-term deal trickier to secure. Asked about his contract during OTAs, Freiermuth brushed the comments aside, deferring to his agent and letting the process play out.
While Freiermuth could hold in and have every justification, he might put his head down and practice with the team while he waits. Tight end figures to play an important role in Pittsburgh’s offense and getting reps under Arthur Smith’s system will be key. Though he’s clearly the team’s starter, he might not want to concede reps to a hungry group behind him in Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, and the battle that’ll take place between MyCole Pruitt and Rodney Williams. Freiermuth appears to have done something during OTAs, practicing in some capacity, and if he was willing to do it in the spring, he might be willing in the summer.
If I had to guess – and it’s only a guess – Freiermuth won’t have an official “hold-in” and participate at some level in camp even without a new deal.
Hold-In Likelihood – Low
DL Cam Heyward – An interesting situation on plenty of levels. Heyward wants to retire a Steeler and secure a multi-year deal ahead of becoming a free agent next March. He skipped the first two weeks of voluntary OTAs before attending the third week for a practice or two (he missed at least one day with a Walter Payton Man of the Year obligation). He showed up for the mandatory OTAs, but it doesn’t appear that he practiced. He hasn’t commented on his status for camp should he not receive an extension, only committing on the latest episode of his podcast to be there when the games matter (i.e. the regular season).
This one could really go either way. Heyward is competitive, and his presence on the field during practice is huge. As was the case with QB Ben Roethlisberger, there’s a drop in intensity when Heyward isn’t on the field. Given Heyward’s more aggressive posture, it’s reasonable to expect him to attend camp but hold in for at least the early portions of camp. The question is, if he ends things on his own accord and if Pittsburgh doesn’t budge mid-way through things.
If and when Heyward does practice, the team could manage his reps more than ever. He’d be given a handful of veteran rest days in previous years, a practice that will continue throughout the rest of his Steelers’ career should it extend past 2024.
Hold-In Likelihood – High
RB Najee Harris – Despite declining his fifth-year option, GM Omar Khan left the door open to ink Harris to a long-term deal. The deal New England Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson received earlier this year should set the table for what the basic structure of a Harris extension looks like. Whether or not Pittsburgh would want to pay it is an open question.
Harris didn’t speak to the media once during OTAs and minicamp, promising to talk during training camp. Interestingly, Harris showed up at voluntary OTAs – after his option was declined – and appeared to participate in some fashion. However, he didn’t practice during the team’s three-day mandatory minicamp.
While Harris can’t be faulted if he chooses to hold in, it might be hard to tell. Given his value to the offense, Pittsburgh was careful with his usage last camp. He was often held out of full-contact periods and rarely tackled. The same could hold true in this camp. The takeaway here should be that it’s doubtful Harris is a full camp participant this summer.
Hold-In Likelihood – Medium
