NFL

Russell Wilson finds the fountain of youth with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Published

6 months ago

June 12, 2024

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Russell Wilson finds the fountain of youth with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Highlights

Russell Wilson feels confident going into the 2024 NFL season.
Russell Wilson is in the pole position for the starting QB job.
A new quarterback room is beneficial for the Steelers.

Russell Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this past offseason after spending two unsuccessful seasons with the Denver Broncos.

However, his stint with Black & Gold has made him feel like a new player. The 35-year-old Wilson told the media he feels rejuvenated since arriving in Pittsburgh early this spring (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor):

Man, I feel the fountain of youth.

I feel revived in every way, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I feel confident. I think at some point, you have to know who you are as a player, as a man, as a competitor. As somebody who’s been fortunate to be able to play this game, I don’t doubt it. I trust it. I felt really good last year playing. I felt really confident in the midst of everything. And so I think right now I have all that confidence times 10.

The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback’s time with Denver did not go as planned, with the organization making their blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire him.

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What Went Wrong in Denver

Russ never got comfortable in the Mile High City

Russell Wilson looks on from sideline — Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson went 11-19 over two seasons with the Broncos, putting up 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Wilson recorded 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions last season, leading Denver to a respectable 8-9 record. However, the Broncos did not want to pay extra for Wilson’s injury guarantee, and he was benched for Jarrett Stidham for the last few games of the 2023 season.

Denver saw Wilson post his worst QBR seasons (38.7 in 2022, 50.7 in 2023) and go from one of the league’s best, to a veteran competing to maintain his starting position.

Denver released Wilson in the offseason before the massive five-year, $245 million contract they gave him even kicked in, and the Broncos will still owe the quarterback $85 million in the future, which allows the Steelers to pay him just $1.2 million in 2024. However, if the Steelers can revive Wilson, they can reap the benefits of Denver’s mistakes.

Before arriving in Denver, Wilson had only missed one Pro Bowl since beginning his career in 2012. The Steelers have not had a quarterback selected to the Pro Bowl since 2017, which was Ben Roethlisberger’s last selection, and it looks like the Steelers are confident that Wilson could be the return to quality quarterback play.

The organization is not hiding where they view Wilson on the depth chart amid a position battle with former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. New Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith expressed his confidence in Wilson to the media (via NBC):

Russ is in the pole position [for the QB1 job].

While on the outside, it may seem like a tall task to work with a completely new quarterback room, Smith explained the benefits of a revamped position group:

It’s probably easier than if you get a job like this and there’s a guy that’s maybe been here 10 years. They may have a certain way they’ve done things. We’re all new, and so that’s been fun.

While both Smith and head coach Mike Tomlin have stated that this will be a competition as the minicamp continues, it is clear that Wilson is viewed as the starting quarterback.

Pittsburgh Could See Bounce Back Season From Wilson

A new environment could be exactly what Russ needed

Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson runs with the ball. — CREDIT: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson has a chance to have a huge bounce-back season in 2024 and prove that the issues were more on Denver than himself. Wilson signed with the Steelers on March 15, 2024, signing on a veteran minimum of $1.2 million.

Wilson has given the Steelers an opportunity to build a complete roster around him now that they have a proven entity under center. Pittsburgh made a big splash in free agency when they spent $41 million over three years to sign former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, who has already started extolling the virtues of the Steel City when compared to his old stomping grounds.

Wilson hopes to have a more stable offense in Pittsburgh than in Denver. Last season, Wilson was sacked the fourth-most, 45 times in just 15 games, and a league-leading 55 times in 2022.

Pittsburgh prioritized the offensive line in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting two offensive linemen with their first two picks and three offensive linemen in their first five selections. Wilson has also been working with his new teammates for months now, as Steelers tight end Pat Friermuth talked about how the QB was building a connection with his offensive specialists back in April (via Around the 412):

I was just down there in San Diego with him working out and throwing routes… He’s been great at talking to guys and starting to build that connection. He’s a great guy. You can tell the drive and determination that he has to win and come to Pittsburgh and win some playoff games for us. I think he will fit our culture and locker room very well.

Time will tell if Wilson can revive his career in Pittsburgh, but for the moment, it is looking promising for the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback.

Source: Brooke Pryor (ESPN)

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.