After two tough seasons with the Denver Broncos, which saw him unceremoniously released in early March, new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson feels revitalized in the Steel City.
Getting a fresh start with the Steelers has given Wilson a breath of fresh air, especially after a difficult season in Denver playing under head coach Sean Payton, which led to his benching in a contract dispute.
Though he is technically in a quarterback battle in Pittsburgh with Justin Fields, Wilson has embraced the opportunity in Pittsburgh and stated to reporters Tuesday following the first day of mandatory minicamp that he feels he’s found the fountain of youth in the Steel City.
“I feel the fountain of youth, man. I just, I feel revived in every way, mentally, emotionally, spiritually,” Wilson said to reporters, according to video via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on Twitter. “I feel confident. I think at some point, you got to know who you are as a player, as a man, as a competitor, as somebody who’s been fortunate to be able to play in this game, and I don’t doubt it. I just trust it. I felt really good last year playing. I felt really confident in the midst of everything. And so I think right now I have all that confidence times ten.”
Russell Wilson: “I feel the fountain of youth. I feel revived in every way — mentally, emotionally, spiritually.” pic.twitter.com/Do63mvzqx7
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) June 11, 2024
At age 35, Wilson will need to find the fountain of youth at this point in his career, considering he profiles as being closer to the end of his career than his prime. His numbers have dipped in recent years, too, leading to some struggles.
However, he still throws a great deep ball, had quite a bit of success attacking down the field in 2023, and now steps into a rather stable environment in Pittsburgh under head coach Mike Tomlin. Plus, he has a strong, star-studded defense and a strong running game behind him.
Wilson is very much in the honeymoon phase with the Steelers. He hasn’t played a game yet, but he’s doing and saying all the right things early on in his tenure. He’s working hard on his craft and embracing the leadership role for the Steelers, too.
While he still has much to prove at this phase of his career after the two tough seasons in Denver, Wilson is trusting the process in Pittsburgh and leaning into the work.
“You take one day at a time, and you just put in the work, man. I just think that’s the part that I love,” Wilson added. “There’s nothing like doing the work. There’s no substitute. There’s no substitute for the hard work. And that’s the part that I love.”
No one will ever be able to question Russell Wilson’s work ethic or preparation. That’s what has made him so successful throughout his career. But hard work and preparation only take you so far, as the Steelers learned with Kenny Pickett in recent years. It will be up to Wilson to take his talent to another level in Pittsburgh to truly revitalize his career.
