After near-historic rookie season, Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth vows improvement in Year 2

Before taking the field of the Hall of Fame Game in August, Pat Freiermuth had been limited to four live football games over the previous 20 months.

He would play in 21 over the ensuing 23 weeks. That’s almost as many as he played throughout the entirety of his career (29) at Penn State.

As a rookie tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Freiermuth didn’t use the term “rookie wall” when reflecting on the season soon after it ended last month. But he might as well have.

“We didn’t really have a break,” Freiermuth said when discussing how he felt around Thanksgiving, “so it got to the point that it was just a lot.”

Freiermuth’s production didn’t markedly suffer late in the season, even as he battled what he called “complacency.”

“I took some time to talk to my loved ones like my mom and my dad and even guys on the team like Ben (Roethlisberger) and (tight ends Eric) Ebron and Zach (Gentry) to kind of (gather input from) them on how to get through that and break that kind of complacency. They helped me a lot through that, and credit to them for helping me get through the final stretch of the season.”

Steelers OC Matt Canada on Pat Freiermuth: “The decision to make that (draft) pick was a great one for us. I really like him.” pic.twitter.com/dtvZgdPS9p

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 11, 2021

If Freiermuth was fending off complacency down the stretch, imagine how he will perform when fully locked-in and focused. Over his final seven games (including the playoffs), Freiermuth caught 28 of 35 balls thrown his way, gaining 235 yards and two touchdowns.

It capped what might be among the most productive seasons by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Only four rookie tight ends had more catches than Freiermuth’s 60, which blew past the Steelers’ rookie tight end record of 39 (Heath Miller). Only three rookie tight ends in NFL history had more touchdowns than Freiermuth’s seven, which nearly matched the rest of the league’s rookie tight end class combined (nine).

Only three Steelers rookies, regardless of position, have had more catches in a season, and only No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts had more catches among rookie tight ends in 2021. Pitts also was the only rookie tight end with more receiving yards than Freiermuth’s 497.

“(Pat Freiermuth) reminds me of another tight end we’ve had here before,” Ben Roethlisberger said.
That, of course, would be Heath Miller. https://t.co/EYrYulIcBc

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) August 23, 2021

“He makes big plays,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said of Freiermuth early this season. “And then Pat’s eagerness to get it done, to figure it out: ‘What do you mean? Where do you want me?’ I remember back in camp, he didn’t get his feet (inbounds) a couple of times early. He figured it out.”

Freiermuth seemed to figure out his rookie NFL season just fine, making the Steelers appear wise for drafting him in the second round. Freiermuth has the look of their starting tight end for the next decade.

Beyond the stats, analytics outlets seem to confirm it was a promising rookie season. Pro Football Focus graded Freiermuth ninth in the league among the 44 tight ends who were thrown to at least 30 times. Footballoutsiders.com’s quantitative metric “defense-adjusted value above average” ranked Freiermuth 16th among 55 qualifying NFL tight ends.

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“Overall, I think I did a good job of adjusting to the style of the NFL,” Freiermuth said. “I met some of my goals, and I have to continue to work for that to take the next step in Year 2.”

The story of Freiermuth’s inaugural NFL season can’t be told without acknowledging two negative plays that potentially cost the Steelers a pair of wins. The first was a fumble with 15 seconds left and the Steelers inside the Detroit 40 during overtime of a Nov. 14 tie.

Four weeks later, Freiermuth was targeted in the end zone on the final play of regulation and the Steelers trailing the Minnesota by eight. The ball landed in his hands but was knocked loose — albeit on a fine play by Vikings safety Harrison Smith and while amidst traffic.

For a player whose reputation was building as a tight end with the surest of hands, the two gaffes came as a surprise. They also were outliers: Freiermuth’s 78% catch percentage was the best in the NFL for any tight end who was thrown to at least 75 times.

Freiermuth, though, vows to improve in other areas as he refines his game heading into Year 2.

“I know specifically what I need to work at and specifically where I need to do to get better,” he said, “so I am excited to attack that and attack that the best I can.”

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