After a messy two-year stint with the Denver Broncos, it’s fair to wonder if Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a much better pairing. Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson reportedly really hit it off in their meeting, but who’s to say how that will translate onto the field.
Hall of Fame quarterback and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner believes that Russell Wilson will be a great fit with the Steelers.
During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Warner was asked if we could see the “Russ cooking Seattle days.”
“I think we have to wonder if Russ can still be that guy,” he said. “That guy was so special and such a difference maker, primarily making plays off schedule as much as anything. With Arthur Smith taking over as the offensive coordinator, the [Steelers] are going to want to run the football, they’re going to be more Tennessee-esque, because they’ve got the two [running] backs and they’re going to try and dominate the line of scrimmage and then play-action pass off it. [This] fits who Russell Wilson is.”
Wilson’s best years in Seattle involved run-heavy schemes, and many times Wilson used his creative playmaking ability to extend plays with his legs while also airing the ball out on beautiful deep throws. His legs aren’t quite what they were in Seattle, but Wilson can still absolutely “cook” in play-action scenarios and make plays with his arm. In Denver last season, Wilson notched an exceptional 115.2 passer rating out of play-action. Arthur Smith and the Steelers will certainly look to wear teams down with the one-two punch of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren while also mixing defenses up with frequent play-action.
While Warner believes Wilson and the Steelers are a great match, he elaborated to say that, “the Steelers are still going to go up against those teams that are going to put points on the board and are going to spread it out and throw, especially in the AFC, with the Baltimores and the Cincinnatis and the Kansas Citys and the Buffalos, where I believe the quarterback is still going to have to make a lot of plays with his right arm to continually win and to beat the best teams in the league.
“We’re going to get a chance to see if Russell still has that magic in him.”
Warner brings up the question that many Steelers fans will be asking: Does Wilson have what it takes to outduel the top gunslingers in a quarterback-heavy AFC? One playoff win is one thing, and don’t get me wrong, that would be a huge deal for a team looking to end an eight-year playoff win drought. That being said, the organization has much higher aspirations: another Lombardi trophy. Wilson may fit well with the Steelers schematically, but to beat teams led by elite quarterbacks, he’ll have to make some of the special plays that he did years ago in Seattle.
The Steelers will win more games than they lose, like they always do, and they can do that without Wilson needing to do much more than limit mistakes, make the simple reads, and air the ball out a few times a game for chunk yardage. To win the division – over the likes of Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson – and to go on a true playoff run, Wilson will need to demonstrate he still can find that other gear that he once possessed.
If not, then maybe Justin Fields is the guy who can — and the one who can take the Steelers back to the promised land.
