The contract details have been revealed for the four-year extension the Pittsburgh Steelers and tight end Pat Freiermuth reached last week.
Freiermuth agreed to what is essentially a new five-year contract worth a total of $49.9 million, that is actually significantly front-loaded.
He will earn $1.1 million in base salary and a $10.5 million signing bonus in 2024, with the latter spread out over the five seasons of the deal for salary cap purposes. That will make Freiermuth’s cap hit this season $3.64 million, up from the $1.9 million he has been slated to cost before the extension.
Freiermuth has a salary of $10.785 million in 2025 that is guaranteed against injury. His cap hit next season will be the largest of the deal, at $12.885 million. All of the guaranteed money in the contract comes in the first two seasons.
After 2025, the Steelers could release or trade Freiermuth with only a $6.3 million dead cap penalty. That season, he is set to earn a $1.5 million roster bonus in March and $7.6 million in salary.
The final three seasons of the deal are all structured similarly, with $1.5 million in annual roster bonuses, and varying salaries, with a high of $8.5 million in 2027 and a low of $6.9 million in 2028.
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| Year | Salary | S. Bonus | R. Bonus | Cash | Cap Hit |
| 2024 | $1,100,000 | $10,500,000 | $11,600,000 | $3,636,033 | |
| 2025 | $10,785,000 | $10,785,000 | $12,885,000 | ||
| 2026 | $7,600,000 | $1,500,000 | $9,100,000 | $11,200,000 | |
| 2027 | $8,500,000 | $1,500,000 | $10,000,000 | $12,200,000 | |
| 2028 | $6,897,024 | $1,500,000 | $8,397,024 | $10,497,024 |