Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth cleared, unworried about his multiple concussions

By the time it got to Thursday of last week, Pat Freiermuth still wasn’t feeling his normal self. As such, he knew he’d have to miss a game.

“It’s tough,” the Pittsburgh Steelers tight end said Friday after a full week of practice. “It’s definitely tough missing a game, I am a competitor, I definitely wanted to be out there. But me, myself, my family, the doctors (decided) it wasn’t safe for me to go out there and play.

“It was the right decision, but I am just happy to go back out there this weekend.”

Freiermuth proceeded through this week of practice without incident and was officially deemed able to play in Sunday’s 8:20 p.m. game at the Miami Dolphins, via the league-mandated status report released Friday.

“Very excited,” Freiermuth said. “’Sunday Night Football.’”

Freiermuth suffered his injury via a hit during the second half of the Oct. 9 loss at Buffalo when three Bills players tackled him, one striking him with his helmet. He did not return to the game and said symptoms sustained for four days.

It was the third time in less than 11 months (a span of 13 regular-season games) that Freiermuth left a game after being struck in the head. It also happened during Nov. 28 and Dec. 19 games last season against Cincinnati and Tennessee, respectively, the latter of which forcing him out of the ensuing week’s game at Kansas City.

Freiermuth downplayed concerns some have that he’s had too many concussions.

“Me personally, I don’t think the one against Cincinnati last year counts,” he said, “because that was I didn’t pull myself off the field; they pulled me off the field. I had no symptoms from that one. So to me, I have only had two.

“It’s definitely a nerve-wrecking thing, but I trust the doctors. We have the best doctors in the world, and I am going to continue going off what they say and I feel comfortable going out there.”

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