The Pittsburgh Steelers signed TE Pat Freiermuth to a four-year extension worth up to $48.4 million ahead of this season, but Freiermuth’s production this season hasn’t been anything spectacular. Through eight games, he has 26 receptions for 264 yards and two touchdowns, a pedestrian 33 yards per game.
In his weekly chat yesterday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was asked how the Steelers were getting their money’s worth out of Freiermuth, and he replied, “They are not.” On The Joe Starkey Show on 93.7 The Fan today, former Steelers defensive lineman and current analyst Chris Hoke challenged that a little bit and said it’s a byproduct of Russell Wilson being able to find other open receivers.
“How many balls do you have in a game? And that’s the issue you have. And you’re not gonna force the ball. Russell Wilson, the great thing about him, he’s been very efficient with the football. So he’s not gonna force the ball to Freiermuth if he’s not open. And he’s able to go through his progressions quickly enough that he doesn’t have to do that. He can find another guy open,” Hoke said. “Guys are open. He’s finding them. Last year, the quarterbacks this year first two months, month and a half of the season, it was a little more challenging. But he’s seeing the whole field.”
Wilson’s ability to find the open receiver has been an upgrade over Justin Fields and certainly over Pittsburgh’s quarterback room last season. Personally, I think it’s way too early to say Pittsburgh isn’t getting its money’s worth in Freiermuth, and he’s been a consistent contributor when called upon. He had a 30-yard grab in Week 7 against the New York Jets and caught two of his three targets for 51 yards, and he had two receptions on two targets for 19 yards against the Giants.
He has an 83.9% catch rate this season, hauling in 26 receptions on 31 targets. Sure, you could argue that Freiermuth could maybe do a better job getting open, but he’s been a good safety valve for Justin Fields and Wilson, and he’s made his plays when called upon. With Wilson’s ability to go downfield, things have opened up for George Pickens as well as Calvin Austin III and even Van Jefferson a little bit. The Steelers need Freiermuth to be a consistent target in the middle of the field, and he has been.
He’s having a better season this year than last year, and while he isn’t putting up gaudy yardage totals, Pittsburgh has made things work in its passing game without him needing to do so. He’s been steady and consistent as a receiver, and he’s developing as a blocker, which was one of the weak spots of his game. It’s too early to say Pittsburgh isn’t getting its money’s worth on Freiermuth through eight games, and Hoke is right that the Steelers only have so many balls to go around.
They’re still a team that wants to lean on the run, and with Pickens, Austin and Jefferson (and now Mike Williams) making plays with Wilson under center, there isn’t a need for Freiermuth to put up a lot of yards. With Wilson looking downfield more, there just aren’t a lot of available targets, but when he is targeted, Freiermuth makes a play. I think the worries about him are being overblown, and I think as long as he continues to be consistent in the second half of the season, the Steelers will be very happy with what he’s providing.
