Will Pat Freiermuth sign his new contract extension with the Steelers today?
With the Brandon Aiyuk situation well behind them, the Steelers are finally settling their in-house business. Yesterday, they completed a new three-year contract with Cameron Heyward, so what will today hold? Even if not today, the next item on the agenda seems to be TE Pat Freiermuth.
A 2021 second-round pick, Freiermuth is entering the last year of his contract. Although he is coming off a down year, the Steelers believe he will benefit greatly from their new offense. Arthur Smith runs a tight-end-friendly scheme, and Russell Wilson should target him more consistently than Kenny Pickett did. As long as he stays healthy, Freiermuth should easily clear career numbers.
Freiermuth’s down year in 2023 complicates things a bit, because now you’re paying more of a projection. Every contract should be based on future projections rather than past performance, but if past performance is not indicative of the norm, that makes projection more difficult.
While many fans may not like to hear it—including myself—the Steelers could be looking at paying Pat Freiermuth north of $13.5 million per season in new money on an extension this year. That sounds like a lot now, but if he puts up top-five numbers, then it’s worth the investment.
Unlike Heyward, who is near the end of his career, this is Pat Freiermuth’s first big deal. He isn’t going to skimp on his earnings opportunity, yet at the same time, the Steelers have some advantages. While Freiermuth is technically scheduled to hit free agency next year, they can use the franchise tag. As of now, the tight-end franchise number is projected to be a little over $13.7 million, which is reasonable.
Freiermuth’s agent and the Steelers have talked numbers throughout the offseason, but now the time has come. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if they announce an extension today. Expect it at some point before the season, any day now.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
