Freiermuth said Wednesday on the Around the 412 Podcast that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career, per Chris Ward of Steelers Now. The tight end is in a contract year, following a down 2023 season in which a hamstring injury cost him five games and may have limited his playing time in a few others. He caught nine passes for 120 yards in a Week 12 win over the Bengals and had five catches for 76 yards in a playoff loss to Buffalo, but otherwise Freiermuth had just 23 receptions for 188 yards and two TDs in 11 appearances. He was far more active in the passing game as a rookie (60-497-7) and again in 2022 (63-732-2), and he could be Option B behind WR George Pickens in 2024 after the Steelers hired OC Arthur Smith and traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Panthers. While Smith figures to prioritize the running game, his affinity for multi-TE formations could put Freiermuth in a near-every-down role for the first time (he averaged 42.7 snaps per game in 2021, 46.4 in 2022 and 39.5 in 2023).
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Freiermuth said Wednesday on the Around the 412 Podcast that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career, per Chris Ward of Steelers Now. The tight end is in a contract year, following a down 2023 season in which a hamstring injury cost him five games and may have limited his playing time in a few others. He caught nine passes for 120 yards in a Week 12 win over the Bengals and had five catches for 76 yards in a playoff loss to Buffalo, but otherwise Freiermuth had just 23 receptions for 188 yards and two TDs in 11 appearances. He was far more active in the passing game as a rookie (60-497-7) and again in 2022 (63-732-2), and he could be Option B behind WR George Pickens in 2024 after the Steelers hired OC Arthur Smith and traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Panthers. While Smith figures to prioritize the running game, his affinity for multi-TE formations could put Freiermuth in a near-every-down role for the first time (he averaged 42.7 snaps per game in 2021, 46.4 in 2022 and 39.5 in 2023).
Freiermuth now appears on track for Sunday's game against the Browns, but official word on his status may have to wait until 90 minutes before the game's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. The starting tight end hasn't played since Week 4 due to a hamstring issue, and his return could provide a notable boost for Pittsburgh's passing game. Though Freiermuth is averaging only 13.3 yards per game this season, he has scored twice across four appearances.
Freiermuth is on track to play after closing out the week with back-to-back full practices, but we won't know for sure until the Steelers activate him from injured reserve (or not). The deadline is 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, and quotes from the tight end dating back to last week suggest he expects to return from a four-game absence for Sunday's AFC North matchup. Connor Heyward and Darnell Washington split TE snaps for Pittsburgh the past four weeks, combining for 14 catches and 108 yards without scoring any touchdowns. A healthy Freiermuth should be a big upgrade for the passing game, even if he doesn't take on an every-down role his first week back.
Career History
Previous Game
2023 Post Season Stats
2023 Regular Season Stats
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Recent games
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receiving
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Date
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Opp
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Result
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REC
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TGTS
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YDS
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AVG
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TDS
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LNG
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YAC
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Post Season
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1/15
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L 17-31
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5
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8
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76
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15.2
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0
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33
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34
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|
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Regular Season
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1/6
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W 17-10
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2
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2
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21
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10.5
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0
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13
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7
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|
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12/31
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W 30-23
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3
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4
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44
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14.7
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0
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25
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31
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|
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12/16
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L 13-30
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3
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4
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16
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5.3
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0
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6
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1
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|
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12/7
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L 18-21
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3
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7
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18
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6
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0
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7
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5
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|
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12/3
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L 10-24
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3
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5
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29
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9.7
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0
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12
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15
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