Bah gawd! That’s Russell Wilson’s entrance music!
The drumbeat for the former Denver Broncos quarterback is slowly but surely getting louder in recent days for him potentially signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Yesterday, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers have interest in and are planning to meet with Wilson in the near future. Apparently, that future is now as Wilson is slated to meet with the team today, per Adam Schefter.
With a deal potentially in the works, it begs the question, is it the right fit?
Well, according to former three-time Pro Bowler Keyshawn Johnson, it is.
On Friday’s episode of Undisputed, Johnson told co-host Skip Bayless that he hopes Wilson ends up in Pittsburgh, stating that he thinks Mike Tomlin is more like Pete Carroll, whom he thrived under in Seattle, than Sean Payton in Denver.
“I think this is more Pete Carroll in both style as well as the coach and how he approaches things,” Johnson said. “Arthur Smith, the new offensive coordinator, runs something similar to what Russell has already been with up in Seattle. So I’m looking forward to it. I personally hope that Pittsburgh signs him.”
It’s true that there would be some similarities in Pittsburgh for Wilson as there was in Seattle. For starters, as Johnson mentioned, Tomlin and Carroll are players coaches. Think more “rah-rah” and uplifting coach-speak when mistakes are made versus the apparent contentious relationship that Payton had with Wilson.
Additionally, it would be far less of “Letting Russ cook” with the Steelers. Like his days in Seattle with Marshawn Lynch, the team would rather keep the ball on the ground with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren than in the air, opening up the deep play-action game.
Wilson thrived in that type of offense earning Pro Football Focus grades of 91.1, 90.3 and 73.9 in his last three NFL seasons with the Seahawks. However, that was a long time ago and the likelihood of Wilson, 35, returning to that form seems unlikely.
The last two seasons have been a struggle for Wilson, unable to get his footing in Denver after having two head coaches in two seasons. He went 11-19 in his Broncos career, posting his lowest two touchdown percentages since 2016.
Despite this, Johnson seemed adamant that if Wilson were to sign with the Steelers, he would be the team’s best option over incumbent starter Kenny Pickett. Whatever happens, buckle up for a wild offseason.
