One of many Pittsburgh Steelers entering the final year of their contracts, there has been no shortage of speculation about the team getting something done with tight end Pat Freiermuth ahead of the 2024 season — and that has been gaining steam recently for a few reasons.
According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan last week, an extension for Freiermuth "is going to happen" at some point, whether soon or right near the start of the season.
Adding fuel to that, the Steelers tight end's agent was in attendance at the team's practice on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. That can usually be construed as a sign that something is done, or at least close.
While Ciara got plenty of attention being at Steelers practice, there was another visitor in Latrobe worth keeping an eye on … TE Pat Freiermuth’s agent.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) July 31, 2024
Freiermuth is going into the last year of his rookie deal and figures to be a key part of Arthur Smith’s TE-friendly offense
A second-round pick of the Steelers in 2021, Freiermuth is coming off a down year in 2023, but that's hardly on him. Not only did he deal with injury, he also had a terrible situation at quarterback and offensive coordinator.
The Freiermuth we saw in 2022 is much more representative of the player he can be, and he has a great chance to unlock that version in 2024 under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Not only does Smith like to feature tight ends in his offense, the Steelers are very thin with pass-catchers. George Pickens remains the No. 1 option, but there are several question marks behind him. Freiermuth could end up being the No. 2 option in the passing game if the Steelers don't make a significant addition.
As far as what we can expect a Freiermuth extension to look like, he should land somewhere outside the top five of the highest-paid players at his position, a group that is rounded out by Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who is making $14 million annually on his deal, per Over the Cap.
The Steelers should not be giving Freiermuth that big of a contract, but he does figure to land somewhere in the $10-$12 million range.
