How many people were (and still are) willing to write off QB Russell Wilson after his time in Denver with the Broncos? The answer is a lot. But the Pittsburgh Steelers organization was not among that group. It didn’t take long at all for the Steelers to bring Wilson in for a visit. And it didn’t take long for the two sides to make a deal.
The partnership certainly makes sense. The Steelers needed a proven veteran quarterback, and Russell Wilson brings plenty of winning experience to Pittsburgh. It’s also a good opportunity to bounce back from his time in Denver.
That’s why Bucky Brooks thinks Wilson could be primed to bounce back in 2024 with the Steelers.
“I think it’s premature to dismiss the nine-time Pro-Bowler’s chances of success in 2024,” Brooks wrote in an article for NFL.com. “The 13th-year pro posted respectable numbers in his final season with the Denver Broncos (66.4% completion rate, 28:6 TD-to-INT ratio), exhibiting some of the clutch playmaking skills (he had four game-winning drives, one shy of his career high) that made the former Seahawk a legend in the Pacific Northwest.”
Wilson’s 2023 season statistically was superior to just about everything the Steelers have had over the last two years combined. If Pittsburgh got that kind of play over the entire season, they could have challenged the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North title. So why wouldn’t the Steelers want Wilson if he can replicate, if not improve on, his 2023 season?
Now, the pairing doesn’t move the needle for a lot of Steelers fans and vocal parts of the national media. It does go against the direction the NFL is moving in. The majority of teams are trying to push the envelope on offense, not play conservatively.
“But offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and head coach Mike Tomlin surely understand the value of an experienced playmaker like Wilson, who knows how to play winning football in a league where games are routinely decided by eight points or fewer,” Brooks wrote.
And Tomlin knows how to win those types of games, too. The Steelers were 9-2 in one-score games in 2023 alone. They are also the only team in the NFL to have a .600 or better winning percentage in one-score games from 2007-2023.
However, Wilson might be what holds himself back from a bounce-back season. He strained his calf during a conditioning test to start training camp. He then experienced calf tightness leading up to this week’s season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. When the Steelers put out their injury report on Friday, Wilson was listed as questionable.
Wilson is 35 and will turn 36 during the 2024 NFL season. He’s an elder statesman in the NFL. Can he stay healthy and upright this season in Pittsburgh? If so, Brooks thinks he’ll have a darn good year for the Steelers.
