The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a few extension candidates throughout the offseason, but the first domino fell on Tuesday when Cameron Heyward and the team agreed on a new three-year deal to keep him with the team through 2026. Up next is TE Pat Freiermuth, who is entering the final season of his rookie deal.
The Steelers have a long-standing tradition of ceasing contract negotiations once the season begins, so the deadline would be Sunday at 1 PM/ET when the team kicks off its season against the Atlanta Falcons on the road. With the Steelers traveling to Atlanta, I would imagine any extension would occur prior to them leaving. Troy Polamalu signed an extension in 2011 at the airport before boarding the plane for their Week 1 matchup, for example.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is reporting that the Steelers would like to extend Freiermuth before Sunday’s season opener.
“Other names that should be watched closely include Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth, who the team would like to sign before Sunday,” Fowler wrote via ESPN this morning. “His situation is similar to Chicago’s Cole Kmet, a really good player without star production who got a four-year, $50 million deal last offseason.”
Just yesterday, ESPN’s Steelers beat reporter Brooke Pryor said via 93.7 The Fan that she has talked to some people who say a deal is looking unlikely.
The franchise tag number for tight ends in 2025 is projected to be a little over $13.7 million, so that is a key number to consider in the negotiations between the two sides.
Freiermuth’s value to the team is difficult to pin down. He has flashed the ability to be a top tight end in the league, but injuries and overall ineptitude on offense over the last few seasons have hampered his production.
But for the 2024 offense, he is effectively its No. 2 wide receiver. Van Jefferson hasn’t produced like a WR2 since 2021, and Arthur Smith’s offensive system suggests heavy involvement for Freiermuth and the tight end group.
Freiermuth’s most productive season came in 2022 with Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky as the quarterbacks. He caught 63 passes in 16 games for 732 yards and two touchdowns. Expectations for the 2024 season are higher than that, but it is tough to pay a player based solely on projections and hypothetical production, even if it is likely to be achieved with a new set of circumstances.
Heyward’s new contract freed some cap space with his 2024 salary being largely converted into a signing bonus that can be prorated over the life of the contract. The Steelers have the space to extend Freiermuth, but the two sides still need to agree on terms.
Freiermuth seems to be thrilled with the new offense and has said throughout the offseason that he wants to remain in Pittsburgh. With both sides having the same goal, a deal usually gets worked out in the end. But the clock is ticking down to the hard deadline of the season opener.
