The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation has been debated endlessly this offseason, with extensive discourse surrounding both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and their ability to lead the Steelers to an ever-evasive playoff win. Wilson is expected to be the Steelers’ starter Week 1, and former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf believes he’s not only a lock to be the Steelers’ starter, but he’ll also take the team to even greater heights.
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf joined the Up & Adams podcast with Kay Adams, and he was asked about Wilson and the status of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Watch out for the Steelers,” Leaf told Adams. “I think Russ still has every bit of being a Super Bowl-champion quarterback in him, and I don’t think anybody else does. I think he’s going to shock a lot of people with Arthur Smith and what they do with that offense.”
Leaf is a lifelong Steelers fan, so his words need to be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s still encouraging to hear the former NFL quarterback’s ringing endorsement of Wilson. Steelers players have reportedly been raving about Arthur Smith’s offense, so perhaps Leaf is onto something when he says Wilson and Smith will “shock people” this upcoming season. Both Smith and Wilson left bad situations with their previous teams, and their respective reputations across NFL circles took a hit. However, Smith’s tenure as offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans and Wilson’s time as quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks demonstrated what these two are capable of.
While almost anything should be an improvement over the Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett-led offense the past two seasons, it’s a pleasant surprise that Steelers players supposedly “absolutely love” Smith’s offense, one even referring to it as “unreal,” according to Mark Kaboly. It’s expected that the Smith will feature a run and play-action heavy offense frequently utilizing multiple tight ends, particularly considering Smith’s play-calling track-record and the Steelers’ prioritization of revamping the offensive line during the draft. The offense could definitely be successful, but for it to truly “shock people,” and prove to be “unreal,” it will need to showcase vintage Russell Wilson as an elite passer.
It’s interesting to note that Leaf emphasized Wilson as the only quarterback capable of leading the Steelers to their seventh Lombardi Trophy. Despite crediting Mike Tomlin and the defense for winning more games than the team should have over the past few years, Leaf sees Wilson as the true difference-maker; the man who can take the team over the hump. It wasn’t Pickett, and he doesn’t believe it will be Fields. Wilson’s last playoff win was in 2020, and it’s been nearly a decade since he last went to a conference championship (2015).
We’ll see if Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith will be the match made in heaven that Leaf describes, and we’ll have you covered as the uphill journey begins with OTAs starting today.
