Pat Freiermuth's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Nobody performed better and more consistently for four weeks during offseason workouts than Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth. He had an instant connection with new quarterback Russell Wilson and came across as a potential playmaker in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's tight-end-heavy offense. Pittsburgh can overcome their shortcomings at the receiver spot by relying more on Freiermuth this year. Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts went over 1,000 yards as a rookie in Smith's offense, and Jonnu Smith had 50 catches with the Falcons in 2023, so there is a history of TEs thriving in this system. Freiermuth is talented enough to take a short pass and turn it into a big gain. Despite catching a career-low 32 passes for 308 yards and two TDs last year in 12 regular-season games, Freiermuth is entering his fourth season as a highly attractive high-end TE2 in fantasy.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth enjoyed immediate success when he entered the NFL as a second-round pick out of Penn State in 2021. As a rookie, he caught 60 of his 79 targets for 467 yards and seven touchdowns. In Year 2, he hauled in 63 passes for 732 yards and two scores and looked the part of an emerging high-floor fantasy tight end. Unfortunately, he was limited to just 12 games in 2023 and tallied just 308 yards and two touchdowns. However, with Russell Wilson at quarterback and Arthur Smith running the Pittsburgh offense, he could be headed toward a bounce-back campaign in 2024. Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly said Freiermuth was not only targeted heavily in OTAs, but he has looked like a "legitimate playmaker," and the team might extend his contract before Week 1. The Atlanta Falcons ranked among the top five teams in total tight end targets in two of Smith's three seasons as head coach, and in his final season as the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator in 2020, they ranked seventh in total tight end targets. Given the weak group of wide receivers behind George Pickens, it would not be a surprise if Freiermuth is the No. 2 option in the revamped passing game. He could be a solid value pick at his mid-range TE2 cost in early fantasy drafts.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has been one of new quarterback Russell Wilson's favorite targets during organized team activities this week. The Athletic's Mark Kaboly writes that it's hard not to notice the connection the two have already built. The two had a throwing session in San Diego earlier in the spring, which might have helped. Wilson seems to have the most trust in Freiermuth right now, and the big tight end is fully healthy and is entering a contract year in 2024. Having a more accurate QB and an offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith who will highlight the tight end position could be the factors that lead to the 25-year-old having a breakout year. A hamstring injury cost Freiermuth five games in 2023, and he caught just 32 passes for a career-low 308 yards and two touchdowns in 12 regular-season games (nine starts) in 2023. With better health, he's a value pick at TE to consider in fantasy this fall.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth said on the Around the 412 podcast on Wednesday that he wants "to be in Pittsburgh for the rest of my career" as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract in 2024. He missed five games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, but overall his numbers declined from the previous two seasons. Subpar quarterback play didn't help, and the 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2021 out of Penn State caught a career-low 32 passes for 308 yards and only two touchdowns in 12 regular season games (nine starts). In new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense, Freiermuth could have a bounce-back campaign in 2024 and will be a nice sleeper target in fantasy drafts this fall.

The addition of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith bodes well for Pittsburgh Steelers tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. From 2021 to 2023 when Smith was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, they ran the most plays with multiple tight ends on the field (1,549), while the Steelers ran only 844 plays with multiple TEs, ranking 22nd in the league. Smith was inconsistent in using Kyle Pitts after his 1,000-yard rookie season, but Smith's scheme could help Freiermuth and Washington get more involved in 2024. The team's QB issues didn't help his cause, but Freiermuth had his worst season in his third year with Pittsburgh in 2023, catching 32 passes for only 308 yards and two touchdowns in 12 regular-season games. However, the 25-year-old finished the year strong and could bounce back in 2024 with better QB play.