Russell Wilson’s time in Pittsburgh Steelers training camp didn’t get off to such a fast start, but he finished strong. Justin Fields opened the door for a quarterback competition in Pittsburgh, but Wilson has an opportunity to slam it shut. It’s fair to wonder if Wilson, who will turn 36 during this season, has enough left in the tank to be a successful quarterback, but former NFL defensive end Akbar Gbajabiamila believes the narrative about Wilson is all wrong.
Gbajabiamila played in the league from 2003-2008, but now he works as an analyst. Appearing on the show Good Morning Football, he said Wilson isn’t as bad as everyone makes him out to be, pointing to 2023, his final season in Denver.
“I think the narrative is all messed up around Russell Wilson,” Gbajabiamila said. “I think a lot of people look at Russell Wilson going, ‘It was such a bad year.’ Look at the numbers that he put up. They weren’t bad like that. Especially when you look at the back half of the season, where they went 6-1.
“This whole thing got out about Russell Wilson and people are starting to identify him being an older veteran as being washed up. No, the dude can still produce.”
Gbajabiamila’s observation is correct that many people don’t think Wilson is qualified to be a starting quarterback anymore. Wilson was one of the best quarterbacks in the league with the Seattle Seahawks, but since he got traded to the Denver Broncos in 2022, his reputation has taken a nosedive.
However, Gbajabiamila is also correct that Wilson shouldn’t take all the blame for those failures with the Broncos. His first year was marred by awful coaching and a dysfunctional system. Last year, as Gbajamila said, was much better for Wilson. He still wasn’t back to form, but he did throw for over 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. If the Steelers had a quarterback produce like that last year, fans would have been overjoyed.
The important part is that Wilson can still push the ball down the field, and he doesn’t turn the ball over much. In Arthur Smith’s system, that should help make him successful. Wilson was also at his best with a solid running game and a great defense surrounding him. All the pieces are in place for him to be better with the Steelers than the nine-time Pro Bowler was with the Broncos.
Really, the only thing that might hamper Wilson is health. This calf injury he battled in training camp isn’t a great sign, though he’s mostly stayed healthy throughout his career. It is just a little scarier when little injuries start popping up with an aging quarterback. However, it seems Mike Tomlin and company managed the situation well, so he should be okay now. His first bit of preseason action should hopefully help to dispel the narrative that Wilson isn’t good enough to start anymore.
