It's the day every NFL player dreads. The day they have their final team meeting of the season and potentially say goodbye to teammates for the last time.
And in the Steelers locker room at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Monday afternoon, there wasn't anyone who was excited that this was the end.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth wanted more than anything to still be playing, to be preparing for another game for the joy and love of it, and for Steelers Nation, who he knows want to see them win as bad as they want to win a playoff game themselves.
But instead, they wrapped things up for the year after losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round on Saturday night.
Freiermuth feels like they are close, closer than they have been since he was drafted by the Steelers in 2021.
But he knows they need to get over the hump and win a playoff game.
"We've just got to figure out how to get over that next hurdle," said Freiermuth. "(We're) 0-3 in the wild card in my career, so we've just got to figure out a way to get to the divisional, and get to the AFC Championship, and get to the Super Bowl.
"I have the utmost confidence in the organization and guys that are on this roster to get that done."
Freiermuth said that confidence comes from a lot of areas, mainly the people that he is around on a daily basis, the people he works closest with and the way the season went up until the last month.
"We started off the season how we wanted to. We were 10-3 at one point with the game going into Baltimore with the chance to win the division. That's the first time we were able to have that opportunity since I've been here. I feel like we're going in the right direction as an offense and as a team for sure. We've got to figure out how to finish stronger in the last part of the season.
"The young guys that we have, we've got Broderick (Jones), Troy (Fautanu), who obviously missed the year with an injury. We've got guys like Jaylen's obviously going to have a big role. Obviously, GP (George Pickens).
"We've got guys that need to step up, myself included, and we've got to take that leadership role.
"Whatever happens in free agency, or whoever we bring in, we've got to let them know what the standard is and what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. Obviously, we weren't able to get that done this year. Obviously, we try. Our goal is to win a playoff game, and the Super Bowl. But here's no time for laying down. There is a solution every time I'm in this building to figure out a way to get that job done."
That standard is something that was set by Steelers players back in the 1970s and has been there ever since. Freiermuth said it's still there, and they know what the expectation is.
"We understand the standard," said Freiermuth. "We understand the greatness of the past of the Steelers. We're trying to fight every way we can to get back there and obviously, it hasn't been what it has been of recent.
"We're not going to just lay down and not try. Being a Pittsburgh Steeler is playing for the city, playing for Super Bowls and winning football. We've got to get back to that. I understand the fans' frustration and everything like that. We're trying our (butt) off. Everyone is, coaches, the players, we feel it. We wish we could have won some playoff games this year and made the fans and the city proud. But we're going to keep going.
"That's what it means to be the Steelers, never give up. I learned that from Ben (Roethlisberger). You've got to keep going. And so that's really the only solution, is to keep going, keep fighting, keep trying and get back there next year and get into the playoffs and win some games and hopefully get to that goal of winning the Super Bowl."
One thing that might have kept them from that goal this year is a word Freiermuth repeated over and over again as he talked to the group of reporters that were assembled.
"We've got to execute when the games get tough and start off faster," said Freiermuth. "I think that's one of the biggest things going into the offseason, as a guy that's going to be here, is to figure out ways to start faster and execute better in high intensity games.
"As individuals, you look yourselves in the mirror and ask yourselves what you could have done better and as a whole. Figure out how we can be better at that moving forward. Just got to figure it out.
"I think what I'm probably going to say the whole time is just execution. There's been a bunch of clips from watching the film that we just weren't, for whatever reason, executing.
"It's guys figuring out what they can do individually to come in and get better, especially in the offseason. This is a big offseason for a lot of guys on offense. Young guys try to take that next step. Myself trying to take that next step as a complete player, complete tight end. It's a big season for a lot of us.
"We have our goals in mind that obviously everyone knows trying to win a playoff game and try to win the Super Bowl. So, whatever that takes individually, collectively, you've got to do it."
