Steelers lock in TE Pat Freiermuth on new deal ahead of Week 1: Contract details, grade

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been quite aggressive at paying their defense in this generation of Steelers football. The five highest paid players, by salary, are all on the defensive side of the football (TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alex Highsmith, Patrick Queen, Cameron Heyward).

Pittsburgh has cap flexibility right now due to the fact that they're paying the quarterback position less than $10 million a season. This gives them the room to make moves to bolster the defense and the supporting cast behind Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, before Pittsburgh ultimately has to pay big bucks on a signal caller.

The Steelers looked to boost the offensive supporting cast a bit for the next half decade right before the 2024 season kicked off. They reached a deal with their starting tight end, Pat Freiermuth to extend him through the 2028 season.

Pat Freiermuth contract details, grade: Steelers extend TE1 on new deal

If there's three words to describe an Arthur Smith offense, they would be: Smash mouth football.

Smith's offense is typically designed around the run, play action and bully ball up front. By nature, this makes the tight end position quite valuable. The Steelers front office understands that and decided to extend their starting tight end through 2028. This deal will make Freiermuth the highest paid offensive player on the Steelers roster, by average salary.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that the Steelers and Freiermuth have agreed on a four-year, $48.4 million extension through 2028.

Freiermuth is just 25 years old, and he still holds quite a good bit of potential, especially in the new look Steelers offense. Over the course of his three year NFL career, the Penn State product has caught 155 passes for 1,537 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Freiermuth missed some time last season as he struggled a bit with injury. He hasn't quite had good quarterback play that would allow him to show his true abilities either. In his rookie season, with future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, Freiermuth was excellent, recording 60 catches, 497 yards, and seven touchdowns.

Since Roethlisberger's retirement, Freiermuth's production has struggled, notably last year when he recorded a career low in receptions, yards and targets. But with improved quarterback play and a play caller than loves his tight ends, Freiermuth is primed for a breakout season again in 2024.

The Steelers see the value in a top tier tight end, and they paid their guy as such. They can afford to do this right now, so you can't fault them for dishing the money out.

Pat Freiermuth contract grade: B+