Though he is no longer a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers – for now — veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson can’t hide his excitement about the franchise landing veteran quarterback Russell Wilson for the 2024 season.
During an appearance on the latest episode of his podcast “All Things Covered” with former Steelers’ cornerback Bryant McFadden, Peterson — who was released last week after just one season with the Steelers — stated that he is a huge fan of the Wilson signing due to what the nine-time Pro Bowler will have around him in Pittsburgh.
“I’m a huge fan of the Russell Wilson signing because late in the year we had established a run game. We started to find the right nutrition of the offensive lineman that’s gonna be able to protect the quarterback, ’cause if you go back and look at it, Mason [Rudolph], when he got into the start of lineup, Mason and Mitch [Trubisky], I don’t know how many times — I don’t have the stats in front of me — but I probably would say those guys were probably not sack[ed] as much as they were early on in the year,” Peterson said regarding the signing of Wilson, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “I felt like the team, Coach [Mike] Tomlin, Isaac [Williams] and Coach Pat [Meyer], they did a great job of trying to find a way on getting the right guys in the right spot to be able to protect the quarterback so we can be able to launch the ball down the field. So I feel like they have been able to do that.”
The Steelers were able to throw the deep ball much better and more efficiently late in the season once Rudolph stepped into the starting lineup. He was more willing to take shots down the field to give guys like George Pickens and Diontae Johnson chances to make a play, something that Kenny Pickett and Trubisky weren’t exactly all that willing or able to do at times throughout the season.
Rudolph also did a great job of hanging in the pocket, letting things develop and then letting it rip, unafraid of the pass rush or any impending contact that might occur in the pocket.
That was a huge development for the Steelers’ offense, and it gave the offensive line more confidence, too, which was already at a high level due to the success in the run game late in the season.
Adding a quarterback of Wilson’s ability with the resume he has is a perfect fit for the Steelers, according to Peterson.
“Now, having a Russell Wilson, who was a Super Bowl champion, seven-plus time Pro Bowler, however many times he made the Pro Bowl. A guy who understands winning, a guy who won the multiple playoff games, I believe has the record for the Seattle Seahawks as a starting quarterback for the most playoff wins as a starter. So this is a guy who understands and knows how to win and most importantly, he knows how to get the ball down the field,” Peterson said.
Though Wilson’s game has declined some from an athletic standpoint in recent years, he still throws a terrific deep ball, one that he connects on consistently. That should do wonders for the Steelers under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, especially on play-action passes, on which Wilson was outstanding last season.
In the end though, it’s not just the fit on the field for Wilson that Peterson loves; it’s also the fit with Tomlin.
Wilson reportedly met with Tomlin for a number of hours last Friday before agreeing to the one-year, $1.21 million deal on Sunday night. That relationship will be key. Peterson said he shared his perspective of Tomlin with Wilson, a player he knows well dating back to their time competing against each other in the NFC West.
“I texted Russell. I said, ‘Man, great choice my guy.’ There’s nothing like Coach T, the way he values winning, the way he value his players and the way he understand his player and the way he wants his players to understand the task at hand each and every day,” Peterson said. “Like, I know you’ve been around Pete Carroll, you won the Super Bowl, but you ain’t gonna meet a guy like Coach T. And he was like, ‘Man, you’re not lying. Coach T is the man. I hope we can do this thing together, man.’ That’s exactly what he said.”
Wilson has the resume to be in the Hall of Fame eventually, and he spent 10 years under a future Hall of Fame head coach himself in Pete Carroll, so he won’t be intimidated by playing under someone like Tomlin. Making a change from Sean Payton to Tomlin will be good for Wilson’s career, too, as Payton spent more time tearing down Wilson than trying to coach him to fit his system.
That won’t be the case with Tomlin. Peterson knows that.
