Who Should I Start? Pat Freiermuth or Michael Mayer

Thursday, April 4, 2:16 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth said on the Around the 412 podcast on Wednesday that he wants "to be in Pittsburgh for the rest of my career" as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract in 2024. He missed five games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, but overall his numbers declined from the previous two seasons. Subpar quarterback play didn't help, and the 25-year-old former second-round pick in 2021 out of Penn State caught a career-low 32 passes for 308 yards and only two touchdowns in 12 regular season games (nine starts). In new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense, Freiermuth could have a bounce-back campaign in 2024 and will be a nice sleeper target in fantasy drafts this fall.

Friday, January 5, 5:22 PM

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (toe) missed all three practices this week and has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. The 22-year-old's rookie season comes to an end with three consecutive absences. It was a somewhat underwhelming year for Mayer, who totaled just 27 catches, 304 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. Austin Hooper will step up as the Raiders' top tight end but isn't on the fantasy radar.