Once upon a time, Russell Wilson was a franchise quarterback, always keeping his team in Super Bowl contention. Things have changed over the past few years, but Wilson’s looking to turn back the clock with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After being out with a calf injury, Wilson started in Week 7 and had the Steelers’ offense firing on all cylinders. Golden Tate, a former NFL wide receiver and teammate of Wilson’s, was surprised at how quickly the 13th-year veteran gained confidence.
“We know that Russ [Wilson] loves to show up big in primetime games,” Tate said Friday on the Centered on Buffalo podcast. “He did exactly that. We all know that [Mike] Tomlin’s gonna put out a winning product year in and year out. He’s never had a losing season, so why would this year be the one?
“I was not expecting [Wilson] to come out and make some of the throws with confidence that he did. But he handled business, he led that team. They beat up on them boys.”
Wilson may have been confident to start the game, but it did not show on the field. He played so poorly in the first quarter that fans began to boo him. However, it was his first regular-season game in almost a year, so it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that he started off slow. It’s not like Justin Fields had the Steelers’ offense rolling to start games either.
Once Wilson settled in, it became clearer why the quarterback change was made. Despite being booed, Wilson kept his composure and made some big-time plays. Not all his throws were perfect, but he was always willing to give his receivers a chance. That’s something Tate is familiar with.
Tate played with Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012 and 2013. They won a Super Bowl together, and Tate began to see more success with Wilson throwing him the ball. It’s been a long time since then, but at his core, Wilson is still a similar player. He’s just had to adjust in some areas.
However, it was still only one game. That performance will likely help build Wilson’s confidence, but it’s too early to label his time with the Steelers as a success. If he continues to play like he did in Week 7, though, he should regain some of the luster on his name that he’s lost. Hopefully that also leads the Steelers to some success in the playoffs.
