Leadership on the offensive side of the football for the Pittsburgh Steelers came into question more than once during the 2023 season. In the midst of a three-game losing streak it went from a local storyline to a national storyline. It isn’t overly surprising as Ben Roethlisberger had recently retired and the offense was among the youngest in the NFL. But that doesn’t make it any less of an issue that needs to be solved.
According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo, veteran QB Russell Wilson appears to be just what the doctor ordered in that department.
“Russell is a vet and he’s done this before. He’s led really good teams in this league, and I think he’s gonna do the same for the Steelers,” Fittipaldo said in an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “Since he’s gotten to town, he has done everything right. Now we’ll see if that continues throughout training camp in the early portions of the season.
“But just the way he handles himself, the way he commands a huddle, the way he commands interviews when he does it, he’s very purposeful in how he speaks…I think he’s the undisputed leader of this offense right now, and I think that’s the way it should be.”
There are other guys who might be able to step up into a leadership role. Najee Harris has been a captain in the past, but he just had his fifth-year option declined and could be on his way out the door next offseason. Mike Tomlin also spoke about Broderick Jones at the end of the 2023 season and said he is quickly becoming a leader of the group, comparing him to Maurkice Pouncey in that way.
That is all great, and their leadership will be much needed within their position groups and for the future of the team after Russell Wilson, but he is the perfect bandaid for that particular issue for the 2024 season.
Some people have concerns about his leadership, as he can come across a bit too rehearsed and perhaps a bit unrelatable as one of the league’s top celebrity players, but that does not appear to be the case early on. He has taken teammates out for steak dinners and gone to Pirates baseball games with members of the team. As Fittipaldo suggested, he has done everything right so far. Will that continue if and when adversity strikes in the 2024 season? That will be the important data point that we will just have to wait to see.
