One of the major themes or media narratives for the 2023 version of the Pittsburgh Steelers was the lack of leadership on the offensive side of the ball. In the midst of a three-game losing streak, former Steelers, national media figures, and many others were piling on and questioning whether the “Steeler Way” was a thing of the past. It was no big secret as to why that was happening. The Steelers had one of the youngest offenses in the NFL, and their longest-tenured players were WR Diontae Johnson, QB Mason Rudolph, and OT Chukwuma Okorafor. All three of those players are no longer on the team, but the Steelers added QB Russell Wilson in free agency. He is more than equipped to fill that leadership void as a 12-year veteran.
According to WR Calvin Austin III, Wilson pretty much immediately stepped in as a leader once he was signed and worked to bring the team together as much as possible.
“Oh, he’s all in,” Austin said of Wilson in an appearance on Jason & John via 92.9 FM ESPN in Memphis. “Because of who he is, his popularity, he’s almost gotten a rep in the media. When I was first meeting [him], it’s hard not to almost think that way. But from Day 1, totally down to earth. Hitting you up, texting you after practice, like, ‘Man you look great out there’.
“Russ has been, since Day 1, he’s been that guy that bring the whole team together. ‘Cause look, he’s won a Super Bowl, so he knows what it takes. Whether that’s on or off the field, he knows you gotta build on and off the field if you wanna get to the top.”
For an offense that continues to get younger, especially along the offensive line, Wilson could be just what the doctor ordered to remedy its leadership issues. Some of the coaching additions this offseason will also help, like Tom Arth, Zach Azzanni, and Arthur Smith, but it is necessary to have a player on the field who is able to keep the group together when the going gets tough.
Right before Wilson signed with Pittsburgh, some of the veteran leaders on the defense helped recruit him to the Steelers. Cam Heyward even revealed something he told Wilson. The “glitz and glamor” doesn’t fly in Pittsburgh. Heyward said that Wilson was receptive to that message, and it appears he is taking his job as the leader of the group seriously.
He demonstrated during the slow part of the offseason that the work never stops as he posted his workouts in the boxing ring and the football field on social media. He then invited a large contingent of Steelers skill position players to San Diego for a workout the week before training camp begins. And now we hear from Austin that he is actively texting and encouraging his teammates after practice.
“You wouldn’t even be able to tell what year he’s in,” Austin said. “Because his focus [and] determination is sky-high.”
Russell Wilson is engaged, and looking to be the leader both on and off the field that the Steelers’ offense needs.
