Pittsburgh Steelers tight end, Pat Freiermuth enters his second season in the league after an encouraging rookie year. Expectations have already been sky high for Freiermuth's sophomore season. That's a result of a multitude of factors, including his promising rookie season along with the improvements he's made to his body this off-season. He added muscle, but is overall slimmer than he was last season and as a result, he should be quicker.
Now, he knows what to expect in the brutal 17-game regular season schedule of the NFL. For anyone coming out of college, that takes a year or two to adjust, and even longer for some. Freiermuth displayed his reliable hands in 2021, along with above-average speed and blocking. He provided the perfect "security blanket" for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, which was much needed at times with a struggling offense. Whether this year's QB is Mitch Trubisky or Kenny Pickett, Freiermuth will be a key factor as either one establishes themselves with their new team. Obviously wide receiver Diontae Johnson will likely get the most targets, but don't be surprised to see Freiermuth get plenty of his own.
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If the Penn State product can take that next step in year two, it will relieve a ton of pressure elsewhere on offense. We know what to expect out of Johnson, but the same can't be said for the rest of the offense. Freiermuth's improvement would take pressure off rookie wideouts Calvin Austin III and George Pickens, as well as running back Najee Harris to do everything as he seemed to do last season.
This seems to be asking a lot out of a guy who has started just 10 career NFL games, but he has the talent to become one of the league's premier tight ends. His seven touchdown catches were sixth in the NFL and first amongst rookies, even over the fourth overall pick, Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons. Additionally, he caught 60 of his 79 targets, a catch rate of 75.9%.
Those are very good numbers for a rookie, and it displays his firm hands. Freiermuth also had just two drops on the season, along with one fumble. That one fumble was crucial, as it contributed to the Steelers tying with the Detroit Lions. In fact, this off-season, Freiermuth reflected on that moment with Adam Breneman, in which he felt like he costed the Steelers the game.
“It was definitely tough. That was the toughest experience I’ve ever faced, because in college and in high school, up to that point, I’ve never really been in a situation where, in my mind, it cost us the game,” Freiermuth told Adam Breneman on his podcast. “Obviously everybody’s gonna say there’s other plays that could’ve won it, but in my mind, that play lost us the game.”
Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Freiermuth showed the ability to bounce back from mistakes in his rookie season, something that's telling for a young player like him. That is one of the more important traits that a player has, and it's not necessarily something that can be learned. Freiermuth should have a big season in 2022, and that will help improve the Steelers' overall offense immensely.
What are your expectations for Freiermuth this season? Would you agree that he's an X-factor to unlocking the offense's potential? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below yinz!
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