Steelers Putting All Of The Pressure On Their Impressive Tight End Pat Freiermuth In 2024

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear hole on their roster, which comes at wide receiver. They gave their all to try and acquire Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers through a trade, but it didn't work and now the organization finds themselves behind the eight ball in the passing game. George Pickens is the clear number one target on Pittsburgh's offense, but if he gets double teamed, there are a lot of questions about who else could help the Steelers in the passing game.

Behind Pickens, Van Jefferson is expected to be the next most productive receiver on the Steelers' offense. Roman Wilson could have a good year as well, but he is recovering from an injury and it's a bit unpredictable what he will be able to do on an NFL field as a rookie. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo appeared on 93.7 The Fan on Friday, and he spoke about what the production will look like behind Pickens in the passing game.

"To address receiver, it's gonna be a combination of Pat Freiermuth and Van Jefferson. I think we all know George Pickens is gonna lead this team in targets, in receptions, in yards. And then the number two is up for grabs. It could be Pat Freiermuth getting number two receiver-type targets and catches. And then Van Jefferson, I think, could be a quality number three target. And after that, you piece it together."

Pat Freiermuth has been a pretty popular player since arriving in Pittsburgh back in 2021, but his career has been pretty up and down. He has dealt with a fair amount of injuries, and at times seemed invisible in Matt Canada's offense. He caught seven touchdowns during his rookie year, and then recorded over 730 yards in 2022. He had a disappointing year in 2023, playing in just 12 games and barely recording 300 receiving years.

The Steelers have shown that they have a lot of trust in both Jefferson and Freiermuth by not acquiring any outside help at receiver. It seems as though they are going to roll into the regular season with their current group of pass catchers and see how it plays out. Freiermuth could have a big year, but if he doesn't perform well or struggles with injury again, Pittsburgh could be in trouble. Fittipaldo spoke more about the hopes the organization has that Freiermuth will have a breakout season.

"So they're going into a season I would say, barring a move, and really what move could they make now? But I think they're going into the season with a below-average receiver unit, and I think they're pinning their hopes that Pat Freiermuth will have a breakout year. We'll see if he can make that happen."

The fourth-year tight end has proven that he can be productive, which he did as a rookie and during his second season. The biggest question is whether or not he can stay healthy. He has had issues with concussions and soft tissue injuries. If Pittsburgh can protect him some, while getting him to produce, the offense may be able to operate smoothly without more help at receiver.

Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Is Currently Awaiting A New Deal

Freiermuth is entering the last season of his rookie contract, which makes him eligible for an extension. The Steelers have a strict policy of not conducting any contract business once the regular season begins, so it is likely that Freiermuth's deal will be done before the team travels to Atlanta for their season opener if the organization still sees him in their future plans.

The tight end's current value is much more team-friendly than it will be after the season if he has a breakout season in 2024. His value has a very good chance of going up in Arthur Smith's offense, which makes it crucial for General Manager Omar Khan to get a deal done now vs. later.

What do you think of Freiermuth's potentially large role in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

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