Steelers Daily Links: Freiermuth ‘Dodged a Bullet’; DT FA?

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth recently shed light on his knee injury and the team might have its eye on a defensive tackle free agent

Freiermuth was injured in the regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns. At the time, it appeared that Freiermuth suffered a significant injury, but it ended up being just a sprain. “I went down, and I heard something. I definitely thought the worst and I was praying that it wasn’t,” Freiermuth told Teresa Varley. “And I’m happy that it’s not… I’m very lucky that I dodged a bullet. I’m happy there’s no surgery and it’s just a sprain and so a month rehab and I’ll be good… Obviously the first month and a half of the offseason is just getting your body back and then getting back to your base level. So, I have to continue to do that and take some rest. But with rehab, that’s kind of my rest, just rehabbing my knee and then go from there.”

Pat Freiermuth also told Teresa Varley that T.J. Watt’s return following the bye week provided a much-needed spark for the entire team, not just the defense. “Having T.J. back helped a lot,” Freiermuth said. “He raised the level of competitiveness on the defense and that carried over to the offense. Kenny and the offensive line did a great job managing the game. I think Kenny did a good job of making plays when needed. The progression of the O-line throughout the season, we were able to run the ball and it’s going to be hard to stop us when we get Najee (Harris) running downhill and then creating explosive plays in the passing game.We were a young team in the beginning of season. I think we grew up fast and I’m excited for the future of this organization and the future of this team.”

SENIOR BOWL WRAP-UP

Saunders: What We Learned about Steelers Offseason at Senior Bowl

CBS Sports: Jordan Dajani thinks the Steelers should prioritize signing Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne in free agency. “Daron Payne is coming off of a career year in which he recorded 64 combined tackles, 11.5 sacks, 20 QB hits and five passes defended. It’s difficult to stand out on a defensive line that features Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and Chase Young, but Payne absolutely did, and made his first Pro Bowl,” Dajani wrote. “Defensive line is a need for Pittsburgh, as it will have to make decisions on free agents Larry Ogunjobi, Tyson Alualu and Chris Wormley. The Steelers could just opt to sign a rising star whose best football is ahead of him.”

The Athletic: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins “could be traded” for a top draft pick if the team can’t reach an extension with him and the money he’s asking for is “outrageous.” Higgins is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and went over 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons.

ESPN: If he ends up in Pittsburgh, Jeremy Fowler thinks the Steelers could kick Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright inside at guard. “The Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to be keeping close tabs on offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. One name to watch is Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright, who Pittsburgh could see as more of a guard,” Fowler wrote.

The Athletic: Nick Baumgardner has the Steelers selecting Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo (first round), North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs (second round) and Notre Dame edge rusher Isaiah Foskey (third round) in his latest mock draft. “A lot of the (Christian) Gonzalez discussion carries over to Kelee Ringo. The Georgia product’s talent is clear, but there are questions to be answered,” Baumgardner wrote. “Ringo is so young, though — he’ll be just 20 on draft day. While we saw some of his struggles in big spots for Georgia last season, he also made a ton of really impressive man-coverage plays that nobody else in this class matched against similar competition.”

Marcus Peters, Marshawn Lynch and Najee Harris are throwing a Pro Bowl party in Las Vegas on Saturday night. All bar sale proceeds from 9-11 p.m. will be donated to the Fam 1st Family Foundation, which supports Oakland’s youth.

Steelers.com: Tight end Zach Gentry sat down with Dale Lolley to discuss the improvement of the Steelers offense, his relationship with Pat Freiermuth and the running game.

Cam and Connor Heyward appeared in a Farm Rich Commercial.

Connor Heyward and Cam Heyward Farm Rich Commercial. #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/Poesy2zGat

— Blitz Guy (@BlitzGuyOG) February 3, 2023

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STEELERS/NFL SCHEDULE

1 p.m: Senior Bowl, Mobile, Ala. Alan Saunders

5 p.m: Pro Bowl practice, Las Vegas, N.V.

AROUND THE NETWORK

Pittsburgh Sports Now: George Michalowski and Jeff Capel were both in Houston to watch Pitt commit Jaland Lowe.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Sidney Crosby says he appreciates the NHL All-Star game more now that he’s older

West Virginia Sports Now: Former WVU QB Geno Smith is the FOX Sports NFL comeback player of the year  

Nittany Sports Now: Penn State wrestling won its 40ty straight dual meet.

Pittsburgh Baseball Now: The Pirates story that just won’t go away and isn’t going to anytime soon.