Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger saved Pat Freiermuth from the thought that he would be cut during his rookie year

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense has been somewhat inconsistent over the last few seasons, both in production and personnel. One thing is for sure: Pat Freiermuth is the franchise’s new tight end. The organization selected Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and the young tight end had truly impressive performances in his first two years in the league. His third season was a bit rough as he struggled with several injuries and didn’t really produce much. There were some who wondered whether or not he would get an extension before the 2024 season, but he managed to sign a four-year contract just two days before the season opener.

Freiermuth had recorded over 60 receptions in each of his first two seasons with Pittsburgh, and in 2023 he only managed to catch 32 passes. A lot of it had to do with the quarterback play and the overall scheme of the offense – which wasn’t good. Oddly enough, Freiermuth doubted himself the most while having one of the better seasons of his young career in his rookie year in 2021. He described this in the contents of an article by the tight end The Players Tribune.

“I remember my rookie year here in Pittsburgh, I was going through a really tough time. I fumbled in overtime against the (Detroit) Lions. Then a few weeks later I had the chance to catch a late touchdown against the (Minnesota) Vikings.” . Harrison Smith put in a great performance to get rid of it. I remember talking to my brother during this time and I felt like I had let the whole town down. “I don’t know if I can make it at this level.”

Freiermuth’s fumble against the Detroit Lions certainly cost the Steelers a win, but it didn’t give them a loss. The game ended in a 16:16 draw. Had Freiermuth kept the ball, Pittsburgh would have gotten it at Detroit’s 38-yard line with just under a minute left in overtime. A field goal was in play, but after the fumble it was clear the game would end in a tie. That has to be a difficult situation for a rookie, and Freiermuth spoke about his interaction with head coach Mike Tomlin the next day.

“When I played against the Lions, I remember walking into the facility the next day and Coach T was one of the first people I saw in the lobby. He came right up to me and said, ‘I’m coming back to you.’ every single time in this situation.’”

If Tomlin had that much faith in a rookie tight end, it’s hard to imagine how much faith the coach now has in Freiermuth. The tight end contributed significantly to Pittsburgh’s offense during the 2024 season and has become the team’s clear leader.

The Steelers’ Pat Freiermuth was picked off after Ben Roethlisberger’s second costly error

Pittsburgh fans love their tight ends. This is an obvious statement based on the way the crowd reacted when Heath Miller touched the ball and then again when Freiermuth came into the league. However, Freiermuth had a rough patch in his rookie year where the fan base could have easily given up on him.

He made his second error against the Minnesota Vikings. Pittsburgh lost the game 36-28, but had a chance to complete its comeback at the end of the contest. Pittsburgh trailed 23-0 at halftime, and Minnesota extended that lead to 29-0 early in the third quarter. But Ben Roethlisberger began a comeback.

The comeback ultimately failed, but the Steelers had the ball at the Vikings’ 12-yard line with just seconds left on the final play. Roethlisberger targeted Freiermuth, but the pass was deflected after being deflected by Harrison Smith. This cemented Pittsburgh’s loss. Freiermuth spoke about his loss at the end of the game.

“That gave me so much confidence. But when I dropped the pass against the Vikings, I was devastated. I was like, ‘Man, they’re going to cut me. This is not the standard.’ Like clockwork, the first person I see at the facility the next day is Ben Roethlisberger. He comes up to me just like Coach T and says, “Hey, don’t hold back. You know I’m leaving. ‘I’ll get back to you straight away in this situation, right?’”

Luckily for Freiermuth, most fans look back on the loss to the Vikings and remember Chase Claypool cheering as the offense tried to line up to punt the ball and stop the clock – not the last play of the game Freiermuth and Smith.