Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Is Confident In 2023 Offense And Kenny Pickett

It didn't take long for Pittsburgh Steelers' tight end Pat Freiermuth to become a fan favorite. The Steelers selected Freiermuth with the 55th pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. It was easy for the tight end out of Penn State University to fall under the radar as the Steelers' first-round pick was used on Najee Harris, a standout running back out of the University of Alabama. Just days into his NFL career, however, Freiermuth had already made his presence known. 

At the time, Eric Ebron was running the show for the tight ends in Pittsburgh. The Steelers weren't necessarily in the market for a tight end, but they didn't waste the opportunity when Freiermuth was on the board at pick 55. With ease, Freiermuth surpassed Ebron on the depth chart and started his first NFL game against the Buffalo Bills during Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season. From there, he became an integral part of the Steelers offense.

Ben Roethlisberger has said it before, if he could've had more time with a player on the current roster, it would be none other than number 88, Freiermuth. The two built an immediate connection, especially in the end zone. During his rookie season, the tight end recorded 60 receptions for 497 yards and 7 touchdowns. When Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season, the Steelers' offense was about to undergo major construction.

After months of speculation, the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. After competing with quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, Pickett earned the starting role at halftime during a Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets. Having limited reps with starters, Pickett had significant catching up to do. To say the Steelers had trouble at first would be an understatement. 

They faced a difficult stretch from Weeks 5-8 against top competitors in the Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and the Philadelphia Eagles. Losses were a common occurrence, and when other teams may have accepted defeat, the Steelers were as motivated as ever heading into the bye week. 

Head Coach Mike Tomlin did what he does best, and he turned a losing season into a winning one. The offense began to gel and Pickett gained confidence. When the Steelers found themselves in desperate need of someone to step up, Freiermuth was that guy. While he wasn't a frequent target, he was easily the most dependable during crucial, game-winning two-minute drills. Now, heading into year two of the Pickett era in Pittsburgh, the expectations are high for the tight end and quarterback. 

Wednesday, Freiermuth was asked the question that everyone is wondering: how do the Steelers continue this momentum leading into the 2023 season? The tight end spoke on the matter.

"(We need to) continue to show up every day, continue to do what we need to do and what's asked of us. I think we need to continue to execute our assignments, continue to grow and we'll get there."

A New Era For The Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers' offense is young, but most importantly, they're ready to grow together. Now that Pickett and receiver George Pickens have a year under their belt, they'll be expected to step up to the challenge during their sophomore seasons. Calvin Austin III will be returning from an injury and hoping to see his first NFL game action since being drafted in 2022. Most notably, the Steelers spent a great deal of the offseason building up their offensive line. Rookie offensive lineman Broderick Jones is expected to have a big impact. Of the young group, Pickett will be counted on as a leader. According to Freiermuth, he's off to a strong start. 

"Obviously this is Kenny's offense and we're going to go as Kenny goes. He's done a great job leading all of us and I'm excited to see his role expand into a leadership role."  

Heading into year two with Pickett as signal-caller of the offense, it's an exciting year to be keeping an eye on the Steelers. Though an underdog in the AFC North competition, you can never quite rule the black and gold out. Will the Freiermuth and Pickett connection continue to blossom this year, or does #88 need to watch out for rookie Darnell Washington stealing the spotlight?