Pittsburgh Steelers fans have gotten a good look at the potential of just how good this offense can be over these past three weeks. Throughout these first three preseason games, all of Steeler Nation has had the opportunity to take a closer glance at the new faces in the black and gold, in hopes of gauging just how well these new guys will accommodate themselves in the new Matt Canada led offensive scheme. Whether or not the production will be there immediately, Week 1 and on, the coaching staff feels confident in having future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger behind center, controlling the pace of the offense weekly.
One of those newer faces in Pittsburgh is the young second round pick in this year's NFL Draft, Pat Freiermuth. The young tight end out of Penn State University, has drawn a serious amount of interest in the beginning of the year and rightfully so. The tight end position is one that this organization has been struggling to solidify ever since long-time Steelers veteran Heath Miller left the squad a number of years ago. The 6 foot 5 inch, 258 pound skilled tight end was known for his consistency catching the football -- probably one of the main reasons the Steelers selected Freiermuth in the second round and finds himself in a situation where the workload will be shared between him and veteran tight end, Eric Ebron.
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In Freiermuth’s first full game dawning the Steelers black and gold, he did more than just impress. In the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason game with the Detroit Lions, Roethlisberger connected with the rookie Freiermuth twice for touchdowns, giving the Steelers a double digit lead heading into halftime. Although just one game, Freiermuth showed off his ability to catch the football with defenders in his face and showed the ability to beat out linebackers in coverage -- which clearly got the attention of his quarterback. After the game, Roethlisberger made headlines by dropping a comparison that grasped the interest of many Steelers fans out there:
“He reminds me of another tight end we have had here before.”
Ben Roethlisberger (7) and Heath Miller (83) won two Super Bowls during their 11 seasons together. (Photo: Getty)
Very subtle, but something only Steelers fans would truly know what that quote means and who he is exactly referring to here. Throughout his career, Roethlisberger found comfort in throwing the ball in Miller's direction, looking for him in times of need. Miller solidified himself as the “comfort blanket” in the Steelers offense and was looked at as one of Roethlisberger's top targets up until his departure in 2016. If Freiermuth can be anything close to what Miller was to Roethlisberger, the organization could be set at this position for years to come.
Do you think Freiermuth will overtake the starting tight end spot? Click to comment below!
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