After a tough 2022 season following a blockbuster trade to the Denver Broncos, then a trying 2023 season in which head coach Sean Payton didn’t exactly want him as the quarterback, veteran Russell Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, giving him a soft landing spot in an effort to revitalize his career.
But now, through the first four practices of training camp, Wilson can’t even get on the field due to a calf injury suffered in the conditioning test upon reporting to training camp when he was pushing a sled.
In his absence, Justin Fields has taken advantage of the reps in training camp and is generating some buzz, which has led to some questions and debates about who should truly be the starting quarterback for the Steelers.
Therefore, that’s why Wilson is among the top five players entering the 2024 season under the most pressure, according to ESPN’s Michelle Smallmon on ESPN Radio’s “Unsportsmanlike” show with former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty.
Wilson was ranked alongside the likes of Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson as under the most pressure, but for a much different reason.
“Is Russell Wilson on his last opportunity in the NFL? He very well could be with his legacy at stake,” Smallmon said of Wilson, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “I don’t know if, are we going to see a revitalized version of Russell Wilson based on what we saw in Denver? It was an absolute mess there. When you look at the way it ended in Seattle, coupled with the way that things went in Denver, this is a great opportunity for him to go to a stable franchise with a great head coach in Mike Tomlin.
“They’re gonna give him every opportunity, but if he can’t perform, Justin Fields is looming and we could be looking at Russell Wilson and his career in a completely different way if it doesn’t work out well in Pittsburgh.”
Things were a bit of a mess in Denver, there is no denying that.
The 2022 season got off to a very poor start with first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who appeared very overwhelmed as the head coach and made some baffling in-game decisions. Couple that with the fact that Wilson simply wasn’t good in 2022, and it led to the train wreck that happened.
Denver brought in Sean Payton and there was some hope, but Payton was never on board with Wilson, which led to struggles on and off the field. Though Wilson had very solid numbers in 2023 (3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions), he was benched late in the year in a contract dispute and then unceremoniously released this offseason with Denver taking an $85 million combined dead cap hit.
Now, he’s in Pittsburgh under Tomlin and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in a scheme with talent around him that is very reminiscent to his best days in Seattle.
“He’s fighting for his career mortality as a starting quarterback in the National Football League,” Canty added regarding Wilson.
During the offseason, he did and said all the right things, and there was a real excitement for Wilson getting to training camp. But then the injury occurred. Though he is expected to return Tuesday at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe for the first day of padded practices for the Steelers, he’s a bit behind the 8-ball with Fields having taken advantage of the reps.
Wilson will need to be sharp right out of the chute and take advantage of the opportunities that the Steelers will afford him, not only in training camp but in the regular season as well. If not, Wilson’s career could be over, at least as a starting quarterback, especially at 36 years old.
That’s a lot of pressure to be under entering his 13th season in the NFL. He’s played a lot of great football in his career, but now he needs to adjust and play to his strengths, understanding where he is at this point in his career. This could be the best shot he gets to revitalize his career.
