Pat Freiermuth didn’t need long on Monday to remind everyone how strange - and memorable - a Steelers-Browns trip can get.
Ahead of Thursday night’s road game in Cleveland, the Pittsburgh tight end revisited a moment from his rookie season that still sticks with him: after he scored in a 15-10 Steelers win in 2021, Browns fans threw beer on his mother.
“Cleveland fans threw beer at my mother in my rookie year after I scored a touchdown,” he said. “I’m not too big a fan of them, but it’s all good.”
Freiermuth said the incident has never turned into real bad blood, and he stressed that his mom took it in stride. He also made it clear she won’t be making the trip back to Cleveland anytime soon, saying she stays home for those games.
The story resurfaced as the Steelers prepare to visit Huntington Bank Field for Thursday Night Football. Both teams enter the AFC North matchup at 2-1, and Freiermuth’s memory adds another sharp-edged wrinkle to a rivalry that already tends to bring out the loudest version of the home crowd.
Patrick Queen also weighed in on the atmosphere, noting that fans sometimes throw various items onto the field, including dog food.
Freiermuth has carved out a steady role in Pittsburgh’s offense since entering the league, and his rookie touchdown helped create the moment he’s still talking about now. Even with the light tone, the message was obvious: he remembers exactly what happened, and so does his family.
Earlier this summer, Freiermuth also showed some quick instincts off the field when he stepped in to protect a child during a fan altercation at a training-camp autograph session.
Now the focus shifts back to football, with Freiermuth heading into another Cleveland visit and the Steelers looking to navigate a hostile setting and tighten up their position in the division race.
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What has made the unit so difficult to sort out is not just the heat, but the way it comes. Players and coaches from other teams have already pointed to the Browns unpredictable pressure looks and defensive wrinkles as a problem that is tough to fully prepare for, which is exactly the sort of thing that starts to matter once division play starts piling up. If this level of disruption keeps going, the rest of the AFC North is going to have to spend a lot of time solving a defense that is only getting more uncomfortable to face. [Read more 🡒]