The Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for a Heath Miller-type tight end to replace him since he officially retired in 2016. They cycled through Jesse James and Vance McDonald until they drafted Pat Freiermuth in 2021. Freiermuth will be a free agent after the 2024 season and will likely be looking for a big contract. While the formal negotiations haven't begun yet, current tight-end contracts in the NFL now help set the stage for future conversations.
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Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller won two Super Bowls during their 11 seasons together.
Freiermuth, who played college football for the University of Penn State, was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft to replace the retired McDonald. This means that Pittsburgh cannot offer him the fifth-year contract option which would be less expensive than signing him to an extension. Now with tight end, T.J. Hockenson receiving a contract extension and those details being made public, it has analysts looking at how that will impact Freiermuth.
Hockenson, who plays for the Minnesota Vikings, just signed a four-year deal worth $68.5 million, an average of $17.125 million a year. This makes him the top-paid tight end in the NFL (it was previously Darren Waller at $17 million). Hockenson joined the Vikings in 2022 with a surprising midseason trade from the division rival, Detroit Lions.
The Vikings needed a new, reliable target for their quarterback Kirk Cousins, and Hockenson proved to be the right fit. During the 10 games he played in Minnesota, he caught 60 passes for 519 yards and three touchdowns.
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Tight end T.J. Hockenson just signed a record-breaking deal with the Minnesota Vikings. What will this mean for the Steelers' Pat Freiermuth?
Many NFL teams are already cash-strapped with massive quarterback contracts. They're also dealing with unrest from running backs and still stuck with a bottom line. What does all of this mean for Freiermuth? Former Steelers linebackers Arthur Moats and Terence Garvin weighed in on what they think the future negotiations will look like for Freiermuth.
Steelers' Arthur Moats And Terence Garvin On Pat Freiermuth's Financial Future
Moats now hosts a podcast called The Arthur Moats Experience and Garvin, who was his former teammate, often joins the show as a guest. The question that Moats asked is Freiermuth potentially getting a Hockenson-type contract, is he the same caliber? Garvin hopes that Freiermuth gets paid, but hopes the situations are somewhat different.
"You know T.J. Hockenson has to go somewhere else to get that. He got traded, finished out the year, and finished with a good rapport up there with them. Then they took care of him. I think Pat's market will be high, especially in Pittsburgh, his value will be super hot," said Garvin.
He goes on to add that the right thing to do is to pay Freiermuth. Garvin then compares Freiermuth to Miller in the fans' hearts. While it is rarely fair to compare a current player to a prior player, it is true that they sometimes fill that void, and Freiermuth, greeted by the cheer of "MUUUTTTHHHH" when he takes the field or makes a play, has helped fans believe in the tight end position again.
"That's a core person, that's your Heath. You pay that. You make sure that's good in there, that he's happy," Garvin adds.
As for the discussion of whether Freiermuth deserves the $17.5 million a year like Hockenson is getting, Garvin said there are a lot of factors that go into that. He doesn't see how the Steelers cannot do it and Moats concurs.
"The thing is this, numbers-wise, Pat is in that convo. It's just T.J. has more seasons," said Moats.
Garvin mentioned looking at the contracts of other comparable tight ends who currently play, such as Mike Gesicki, currently with the New England Patriots. He signed a one-year contract with the Patriots worth $4.5 million with performance incentives that push the maximum to $9 million a year. But they add that he has recently had a few off years and his numbers haven't been as good as they once were.
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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth celebrates his first 2023 touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.
To that, Moats said that the one they need to consider is Dawson Knox and his contract. He signed a four-year extension in 2022 with the Buffalo Bills worth $52 million. That included a $7 million signing bonus and an average annual salary of $13 million. This contract guarantees Knox $31.2 million.
"Look at Dawson Knox, who also got a nice contract and his numbers are almost identical to Pat's," points out Moats. "That's the one in terms of comparable players and comparable money. Either way, I think you are looking at double digits for Pat for sure."
Garvin adds that he expects Freiermuth to be a player who takes a "hometown discount." When asked what that might mean, he said about $12 million, leaving some money in the pot for other players, hoping to keep as much of the current group together as possible.
Garvin ends the discussion by saying he thinks that Freiermuth will take care of the Steelers and the Steelers will take care of Freiermuth. He's a team player, but is the type that sincerely cares about seeing the whole team prosper.
"He's a Steelers for life guy type. He's somebody that's an ideal per se Steeler for life to me. You know, quiet, gets his job done, he fits the Steelers prototype, a hard worker," according to Garvin.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' Pat Freiermuth celebrates with Kenny Pickett after he scored a touchdown against the New York Jets in 2022.
What do you think about Garvin's and Moats' assessment of Freiermuth? Do you think he is comparable to Knox or Hockenson? Click to comment below.
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