Steelers Great Ben Roethlisberger Saved Pat Freiermuth From Thinking He Would Be Cut During His Rookie Year

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense has been a bit inconsistent over the last handful of seasons, both in production and in personnel. One thing is certain, however: Pat Freiermuth is the new franchise tight end. The organization selected Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and the young tight end had a really impressive first two years in the league. His third season was a bit rough as he dealt with multiple injuries and didn't really produce much. There were some who questioned whether or not he would get an extension ahead of the 2024 season, but he managed to ink a four-year deal just two days before the season opener.

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

"I remember my rookie year here in Pittsburgh, I went through a really tough stretch. I fumbled against the [Detroit] Lions in overtime. Then a few weeks later, I had a chance to catch a late touchdown against the [Minnesota] Vikings. Harrison Smith made a hell of a play to knock it loose. Still, I should’ve held on. I remember talking to my brother during that time, and I felt like I let the whole city down. I actually remember telling him, 'I don’t know if I have it at this level.'"

Freiermuth's fumble against the Detroit Lions certainly help cost the Steelers the victory, but it didn't give them a loss. The game ended in a 16-16 tie. Had Freiermuth retained possession of the ball, Pittsburgh would have had it at Detroit's 38-yard line with just over a minute to go in overtime. A field goal was in play, but after the fumble, it became clear the game would end in a draw. This has to be a tough situation for a rookie, and Freiermuth spoke about his interaction with Head Coach Mike Tomlin the next day.

"When I fumbled 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 that situation.'"

If Tomlin had this kind of confidence in a rookie tight end, it's hard to imagine how much confidence the coach has in Freiermuth now. The tight end has been a key contributor to Pittsburgh's offense during the 2024 season, and he has become a clear leader for the team.

Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Was Picked Up By Ben Roethlisberger After Second Costly Mistake

Pittsburgh fans love their tight ends. This is an obvious statement based off of the way the crowd would react whenever Heath Miller touched the ball, and then again once Freiermuth entered the league. However, Freiermuth did have a rough stretch during his rookie year where the fan base could have easily given up on him. 

His second mistake came against the Minnesota Vikings. Pittsburgh lost the game 36-28, but they had a chance to complete their comeback at the end of the contest. At halftime, Pittsburgh was down 23-0, and early in the third quarter, Minnesota extended that lead to 29-0. But, Ben Roethlisberger began to lead a comeback. 

The comeback would ultimately fall short, but the Steelers had the ball at the Vikings' 12-yard line on the last play of the game with just seconds left. Roethlisberger targeted Freiermuth, but the pass was dropped after it was broken up by Harrison Smith. This solidified Pittsburgh's loss. Freiermuth spoke about his drop at the end of the game.

"That gave me so much confidence. But when I dropped the pass against the Vikings, I was crushed. I was thinking, 'Man, they’re going to cut me. This is not the standard.' Like clockwork, the first person I see in the facility the next day is Ben Roethlisberger. He comes right up to me, exactly like Coach T, and he says, 'Hey, don’t hold your head. You know I’m going right back to you in that situation, right?'"

Thankfully for Freiermuth, most fans look back on that loss against the Vikings and remember Chase Claypool celebrating while the offense was trying to get lined up to spike the ball and stop the clock -- not the last play of the game with Freiermuth and Smith.

What do you think of those stories from Freiermuth? Let us know in the comments below!

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