Training camp autograph sessions are usually the easy part of the day, just kids with markers and players flashing smiles. That wasn’t the case at the Pittsburgh Steelers camp this week. A scuffle broke out among fans crowding the rope line, and things could have gotten messy fast. That’s when Pat Freiermuth stepped in.

A video credited to @telebo10 on Instagram captured two unruly fans as they gathered to get Freiermuth’s autograph. Things escalated fast, and right in the middle of it was a young boy. Freiermuth didn’t think twice. He scooped the kid out of the chaos, carrying him over the barrier separating the field and the crowd.

Naturally, people weren’t too happy with the two adults who started the whole mess. But the moment everyone actually walked away talking about was Freiermuth’s. Steelers fans lit up social media with praise, and it’s easy to see why. Pat McAfee also lauded Freiermuth’s quick thinking.

He posted a Captain America GIF and tagged Freiermuth directly, writing, “Hey @pat_fry5,”.

Pat Freiermuth enters the 2026 season after a poor showing last year. He tallied 41 receptions for 486 yards and 4 touchdowns in 17 games. Solid, but not quite what people hoped for.

His receptions and yard total were the second-lowest in his career. Freiermuth found himself pushed down in the pecking order, with Darnell Washington and Jonnu Smith factoring into the Steelers’ offense.

Freiermuth is shaping up to be a name to watch under Mike McCarthy’s new system in Pittsburgh.

In Saturday’s practice, the last one before pads come on, Freiermuth logged the two biggest catches of a two-minute drill at the end of the day, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo.

The tight end first caught a short pass from Aaron Rodgers to convert a fourth-and-four. Then, Freiermuth caught a 25-yard back-shoulder throw down the seam for a touchdown.

Between the chemistry building with Rodgers and the moment he had off the field, it’s turning into a pretty memorable camp for Pat Freiermuth. Former Steelers linebacker Vince Williams believed the tight end could see a good season this year.

“I think, a lot of the time, we’ve forgotten how good he was,” he said on Steelers Nation Radio. We’ve forgotten the player that we paid and how dominant he could be because of the offense that he played in. I think he’s a person that could take another step forward and really remind everybody what he’s capable of.”