There’s an old saying that says that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In the NFL, that isn’t always true, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are certainly hoping Russell Wilson can be treasure for them. Wilson had an incredible career with the Seattle Seahawks before being traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022.
Since then, Wilson has had a fall from grace, going from one of the best quarterbacks in the league to being cut outright by the Broncos. Wilson does have an opportunity to revive his career with the Steelers, but one former NFL MVP doesn’t think he can ever be the version of himself that was in Seattle again.
Cam Newton was a quarterback in the NFL from 2011 to 2021, winning MVP once and also taking the Carolina Panthers to a Super Bowl. Before injuries took their toll, Newton was one of the NFL’s best. Now, he hosts his own podcast called 4th & 1 With Cam Newton, and on a recent episode, he placed every current starting quarterback into one of three tiers.
The first tier was franchise players and the second tier players who need to prove they can win. The final tier was for players who may or may not be the problem on their team. Both Wilson and Justin Fields fell into the second tier, with Newton saying Wilson isn’t the same player he once was.
“Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. I don’t know how we’re gonna figure it out,” Newton said about the quarterback battle. “We need to know if you can win consistently because this ain’t Seattle Russ. We coming off of Denver Russ.”
Newton is correct that Wilson hasn’t looked like the version of himself that helped lead the Seahawks to two straight Super Bowl appearances, but he also wasn’t as awful in Denver as many people think. He wasn’t great, and he was certainly part of the problem at times, but last year, he put up respectable numbers. Working in Arthur Smith’s offense this year should help hide some of his issues too. Wilson was always at his best in Seattle with a great rushing attack alongside him.
With Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both taking some of the load off him, Wilson shouldn’t be forced to be the straw that stirs the drink in the Steelers’ offense. He’ll have numerous responsibilities, but he shouldn’t be the focal point. That will allow him to play with less pressure while also not putting too much strain on his aging body. At 35, Wilson isn’t getting any younger, and he’s taken a ton of punishment the last few years. He shouldn’t have to be the Seahawks version of himself for the Steelers to win.
Either way, whether it’s Seattle Wilson, Denver Wilson, or something in between, he’ll be an upgrade over what the Steelers have had at quarterback. In that regard, he should help contribute to winning football games. As long as the offensive line doesn’t let him get beaten up too much, Wilson should be able to make the Steelers better than they were in 2023. If he doesn’t though, Fields is always waiting right behind him. The Steelers having that lottery ticket makes the unknown of Wilson’s level of play a little easier to deal with.
