While many in the media have panned or are at least skeptical of Russell Wilson’s chances for success in Pittsburgh, one former Steeler is optimistic. Joining NFL Network’s The Insiders Tuesday evening, ex-CB Patrick Peterson thinks it’s a great fit.
“I believe Russell is probably a match made in heaven,” Peterson told the show. “It is kind of going back to his leg of Legion of Boom days when he was in Seattle. Pittsburgh Steelers, they’re gonna lean on their defense. They’re gonna lean on their running game, and they’re going to rely on their quarterback not to turn the football over. And I think that’s a recipe for success.”
There are certainly parallels to Wilson’s peak with the Seattle Seahawks. An old-school, veteran head coach in Pete Carroll and now Mike Tomlin. A burly lead runner with Marshawn Lynch before and Najee Harris now. And a stout defense that’s among the most physical in football with talent at all three levels.
It’s support Wilson didn’t have in Denver. While that can’t be the sole excuse for why he and the Broncos struggled, it did him no favors. The Broncos lacked an effective running game in either year Wilson was there. In 2023, they ranked 21st in yards per carry. In 2022, they were only marginally better at 17th. Pittsburgh has its sights set higher than that behind a reworked offensive line, though one is currently dealing with injury. Plus, a back like Harris, who dropped nearly 10 pounds in order to become more explosive.
Denver’s defense was also middling-to-bad in 2022 and 2023. Pittsburgh could be a top-five unit and despite last year’s tsunami of injuries, they still finished sixth league-wide.
Wilson has been at his best when these ingredients come together. Patrick Peterson thinks it could happen again.
“I believe he has the quarterback that’s not necessarily going to turn the ball over, but he understands how important it is not to give possessions away.”
It’s a similar approach the Steelers took with Kenny Pickett, creating a hyper-conservative offense focused on not losing the game instead of winning it. But Wilson brings more overall talent to the table and can hopefully unlock this offense to greater heights than they’ve achieved the past three seasons.
Of course, Patrick Peterson has at least a little incentive to speak highly of Pittsburgh. He’s repeatedly expressed a desire to return to the Steelers and is still looking for a job as the regular season starts off. If Peterson can’t find a home soon enough, he may remain an analyst and transition into a new phase of his career as Wilson tries to avoid joining Peterson on the couch.
