The Pittsburgh Steelers have three players looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth
Freiermuth is coming off a career-low 32 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
It was a disappointing year, given his 123 catches for 1,229 yards and nine touchdowns in his first two seasons, but a nagging hamstring injury limited him to just 12 games.
The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie deal. If he hopes to receive a big payday, he must put together his best season.
The Steelers could extend him before the start of the 2024 season, but with training camp opening in a couple of weeks, that doesn’t seem likely.
Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward
Like Freiermuth, Heyward’s 2023 campaign was defined by injuries. The six-time Pro Bowler battled a lingering hamstring injury he suffered in the season’s first game.
As a result, Heyward registered just 33 tackles and two sacks in 11 games. Many have argued that the 35-year-old has lost a step, but he believes he has a lot of good football left.
“I want to be valued at my position. I understand I came off [a] rough season, but I don’t think it’s a step down from where I can play,” Heyward said. “I think I’m at the top of my game. I’m still a top-five player at my position.”
Pittsburgh is hoping that’s the case, and if Heyward can prove it, he’ll earn the long-term commitment he’s been looking for.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick is coming off the least productive season of his six-year NFL career. He had a career-low 64 tackles and three passes defensed while not generating a single turnover.
That was unlike Fitzpatrick, who had been one of the league’s best ballhawks the previous five seasons, during which he registered four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, 19 interceptions and four touchdowns.
Fitzpatrick’s down year was caused by injuries, which limited him to only 10 games. However, he thinks the Steelers’ new additions of linebacker Patrick Queen and safety DeShon Elliott will allow him to play the instinctive style of football (“Minkah ball”) that earned him All-Pro honors in 2020 and 2022 once again.
If that’s true, Fitzpatrick will improve Pittsburgh’s defense even more than it was a year ago, when it allowed the sixth-fewest points per game (19.1) in the league.
