Pat Freiermuth Looks Forward to Crucial Matchup Against Falcons Elite Safety Duo
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth joined Zachary Smith of Steelers Now for the debut episode of Steelers Saturday SitDAHN to discuss signing a new extension with the team, how he feels like the offense is coming together and goals (both individual and team) he has in mind for 2024-25.
Freiermuth’s 2024 campaign will start on Sunday, and he’ll have a big matchup against the Atlanta Falcons elite safety duo of Jessie Bates III and Justin Simmons in the season opener.
Simmons, 30, was probably the best player left on the NFL free agent market when the Falcons snapped him up after a visit in mid-August. Simmons spent his first eight seasons with the Denver Broncos, were he was a four-time All-Pro, a two-time Pro Bowler, and led the NFL in interceptions in 2022.
Simmons will sit next to Bates, who came over from the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent last offseason, giving Atlanta a pair of All-Pros at the position and likely the league’s best group of safeties.
“Especially this week going to Atlanta. I’m very excited to go up against that safety duo,” Freiermuth told Smith. “Jessie’s time in Cincinnati, we got pretty familiar with each other. He’s a really good athlete, really good safety. Obviously anytime I go against that I want to elevate my game. Jessie and I have some respect for each other, so I’m excited to go out there and have the opportunity to go up against him again.”
There’s a lot of uncertainty with the Falcons defense, as Raheem Morris is the new head coach and Atlanta has added two big-time playmakers in Simmons and outside linebacker Matthew Judon within the last month.
“They’re going to play hard. They’re a veteran savvy group,” Freiermuth said. “They’ve added a lot of pieces from Judon to Simmons and obviously they have (A.J.) Terrell and Jessie. They have a pretty good linebacker core, as well. They’re experienced all around. Spent a lot of film watching of them in the past of different places to just kind of see how they play. And then to try to see themselves in what they’re going to do in the scheme that Raheem has them in. Spent a lot of film study, a lot of different teams, a lot of different players, but that’s what you got to do.”
With the Steelers making the change to Arthur Smith as the team’s offensive coordinator, Freiermuth is expected to play an even larger part of the offense moving forward. Smith’s Atlanta Falcons team in 2023 threw to tight ends 175 times, the third-most in the NFL.
Freiermuth’s impact in the middle of the field against the Falcons elite safety duo will be a key matchup in Sunday’s game. The Steelers barely utilized the middle of the field during the Matt Canada era. It will be interesting to see if that opens up under Smith. Freiermuth will play a big part in that component.
Read This Next
