Russell Wilson‘s resume boasts of greatness. Super Bowl winner, 10-time Pro Bowler, 45k+ passing yards, and standing just one game shy of his 200th NFL start after 13 seasons. He has never entered a game as a backup. His movement, field vision, and late-stage improvisation will make you think of him as a perfect match for tight ends. But the reality? It’s more complicated. When he lines up under center, something about tight end production, whether injuries, usage, or timing, always seems to fall flat. It’s not just bad luck. It’s a pattern. A trail that suggests a silent curse lurking in each TE room he enters.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth seemed to be the one who’d break the cycle. Before 2024, he had played 3 seasons, recording 155 receptions in 1,537 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 454 games (26 starts). However, he failed to rise in 2024 under Russell Wilson. In 17 games (11 starts) last year, he only managed 65 receptions for 653 yards and 7 touchdowns.

To compare his performance over the year, he had the same number of TDs in his rookie year (2021) in just 9 starts (16 games) under Ben Roethlisberger and had 732 yards in his second year in just 8 starts (16 games) under a trio of QBs. While he failed to improve his performance, his fumbles certainly did. In 2024 alone, Pat Freiermuth had 3 fumbles (only 1 fumble in the previous 3 years). And he’s not the only TE who failed under Mr. Unlimited.

Jimmy Graham arrived in Seattle amid hype as one of the best TEs in football. But that lasted just 11 games in 2015, 48 receptions for 605 yards and 2 TDs, before suffering a torn patellar tendon in Week 13. He returned well in 2016 with 923 yards, but the earlier injury and system misfit meant he never regained that elite vibe.

Will Dissly, now with the Chargers, peaked early in the Seahawks. In 2018, he had 156 yards and 2 TDs over just four games before a torn patellar tendon ended his season. In 2019, after a promising start (23 receptions, 262 yards, 4 TDs in six games), he suffered a torn Achilles. Every time real momentum built with Russell Wilson, Dissly was wiped out by injury twice.

While the quarterback has moved on to the NY Giants, the Steelers‘ TE is still struggling. The first four years of his career wasted because of bad QB play.

Pat Freiermuth misses a place on illustrious list

Jeremy Fowler recently compiled a list of the Top 10 TEs in the league. The Steelers TE didn’t find any spot on those but did get an honorable mention. However, that seemed more like a consolation.  “I’ve always been a huge fan. He’s a really freakin’ good football player. Has three-down ability, reliable in the passing game. He’s just had bad quarterback play,” an NFC scout mentioned.

The truth of that quote hits like a blindside blitz for any tight end tied to Russell Wilson’s offenses. Yet, the TE also suffered in 2022 and 2023 because of instability at center. After Roethlisberger retired in 2022, the franchise brought in Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky. While they failed to qualify in 2022, they lost in the wildcards in 2023.

Frequent injuries to Pickett often forced Mike Tomlin to start with Mitch Trubisky. While the team suffered, it impacted the TE more. At 6’5” and 251 lbs, with clean route-running and soft hands, Pat Freiermuth is built for middle-field violence. And still, he has not found his true place in the lineup as a starter, and on such Top 10 lists.

With Russell Wilson gone and Aaron Rodgers in the system, he is looking for another shot at redemption. But the truth remains scary. A-Rod is also 41 years old. But the TE is hoping for a better result. He wants 2025 to be his breakout year. Their rivals better watch out for the duo.