Steelers tight end Eric Ebron discussed his adaptation to a reduced role in the team’s offense this week and one of the reasons why he’s seeing less action is the arrival of rookie Pat Freiermuth.
Freiermuth set season-highs with seven catches and 58 receiving yards in the team’s Week Six win over Seattle and the second-round pick has caught 18-of-20 passes thrown his way this season. During an appearance on NFL Network, Freiermuth suggested his role could continue to grow because his relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been building over the course of the season.
“He’s awesome and it’s been awesome just to learn from him and see what it takes day in and day out to be a successful professional football player,” Freiermuth said. “He’s a great guy. Our relationship has moved forward these past couple of weeks into something that I think is gonna be special for us this season.”
Many people feel this will be the final year for Roethisberger in Pittsburgh, so they may not get to continue to build on that relationship in the future. Freiermuth’s development should be a plus to whoever follows Roethlisberger at quarterback for the Steelers.