Cam Heyward was one of several Pittsburgh Steelers to make the sales pitch to Russell Wilson. Their words paid off, Wilson choosing the Steelers over other suitors. Now poised to be the team’s starting quarterback this season, Heyward is revealing what his conversation was like in the lead-up to Wilson’s decision.
Appearing on Up and Adams Thursday morning, Heyward said he spoke with Wilson earlier this year, clueing him in on what Pittsburgh is like.
“I was out at a conference in Arizona,” Heyward told host Kay Adams. “And then I came back to my room and me and Russ just talked for about two hours. We talked ball. I know he was having conversations with the Steelers. The main thing I did told him was just, this isn’t the place for glitz and glamor. It’s not L.A., it’s not Atlanta. This is the place where the gladiators come and we’re gonna compete every day. Just hearing from him, he was receptive to that.”
While Heyward didn’t confirm it, this appears to be the FaceTime call Wilson told reporters he had with Heyward. Speaking to the media in March, Wilson cited that conversation as one reason why he signed with Pittsburgh over other interested teams like the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders.
“We got to talk. And it was this cool experience of a guy who’s been at the top of his game for so long, but also a man who’s made a difference in a community,” Wilson said on March 15. “A guy who’s made a difference, not just in Pittsburgh, but around the country and just all the things he’s done.”
Heyward and Wilson are Walter Payton Man of the Year Award recipients. Wilson won it in 2020 while Heyward took home the award this past season.
Pittsburgh is building a throwback, old-school team. One focused on building up their offensive line, the Steelers investing their top two picks in the front five this year after spending a first round pick on an offensive tackle last season. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is as run-heavy a coach as there is in football, ranking top 10 in rushing attempts four out the past five years. And the Steelers have a great backfield duo in RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
All that should take the pressure off Wilson compared to his past two years in Denver, viewed as the franchise savior after acquired in a mammoth trade from Seattle. The Broncos also had little running game, finishing 17th and 21st in 2022 and 2023 in yards per carry.
Wilson’s situation was unique. It was the first time he became a true free agent. Drafted by Seattle in 2012, he spent most of his career with the Seahawks before being dealt to Denver ahead of the 2022 season. Wilson also made what was truly the best football move for him. Given that Denver is on the hook for nearly all of his salary, money wasn’t an object. He signed for the minimum to play with the Steelers, connecting with Mike Tomlin and the chance to win in Pittsburgh. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. Wilson hasn’t won one since 2019.
Though just months into his Steelers tenure, Wilson has bought into the Steelers’ culture. He’s been active in the community, continuing to visit Children’s Hospital as was his tradition in Seattle. And he’s spent plenty of time with teammates away from the field, taking the offensive linemen to Penguins and Pirates games while assembling several receivers for a spring workout in San Diego.
Ultimately, how fans receive him will be based on his play and the team’s success. If he can win, he’ll become a star in the city, and probably return with a new contract in 2025.
