Pat Freiermuth, Steelers Agree to 4-Year, $48.4M Contract Before 2024 NFL Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed tight end Pat Freiermuth to a new contract ahead of Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, citing Freiermuth's representatives, reported that the two sides agreed to a four-year, $48.4 million contract extension on Friday.

This comes after ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Brooke Pryor reported talks were "progressing" between the tight end and the Steelers with the hope they would finalize negotiations prior to the start of the new campaign.

Freiermuth was next in line for Pittsburgh after it agreed to a new three-year, $45 million contract with veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward on Tuesday.

There was some level of urgency regarding the tight end, as he was previously signed through just the upcoming campaign and could have become a target for other teams in free agency next summer without this deal.

And Sunday loomed as something of an unofficial deadline if neither side wanted to continue negotiating once the games start.

They no longer have to worry about that following this development.

Pittsburgh selected him out of Penn State with a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and he wasted no time establishing himself as an impact playmaker with 60 catches for 497 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. He followed that up with a career-best 732 receiving yards in 2022.

Freiermuth was limited to just 12 games last season as he dealt with injuries on his way to 32 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. It was a disappointing campaign in terms of individual production, but he has proven in his three seasons that he can be a formidable tight end for the Steelers when healthy.

He is also just 25 years old and figures to remain productive for the foreseeable future.

Pittsburgh's front office surely knows this and ensured he remains with the team beyond just the upcoming season.