From the second Russell Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, there was one critic who rose above the rest. Former Denver Broncos OG Mark Schlereth was not shy in his critique of Wilson and his disastrous tenure with the Broncos. His conclusion on Wilson boiled down to the nine-time Pro Bowler being washed up as a player and ineffective as a leader of men.
Today is a momentous occasion in the Schlereth-Wilson saga. Schlereth admitted he was wrong.
“I’m gonna go ahead and just do this with my chest,” Schlereth said via FS1’s Breakfast Ball. “The last two years in Denver were atrocious. There’s no question about that. And you know what? That’s what I based my opinion on the last two years. It’s a pretty good sample size. He has come into Pittsburgh. They have put him in a great system. They have thrown the ball outside the numbers. That’s where they live right now. Those are the things that Russell does well. And deep, he’s as good as anybody throwing the ball outside the numbers as good as anybody throwing the ball deep. Maybe one of the best deep-ball passers ever.
“He has basically accepted the coaching, accepted what he didn’t do well. He is living in the world of what he can do, and I gotta tell you right now that I was wrong.”
I thought it would take a little more than a game or two for Schlereth to change his pretty deep-rooted opinions about Wilson, but his play has left no doubts. After a ridiculously good 10.0 adjusted net yards per passing attempt in his Steelers debut, Wilson followed it up with a great 8.72 ANY/A. For reference, Kenny Pickett was a 5.21 for the Steelers in 2023 and Justin Fields was a 5.58 through the first six weeks.
Wilson has completed 36 of his 57 passes (63.2 percent), for 542 yards, three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and zero interceptions. He has been efficient, he has provided splash, and he has limited the mistakes other than a lost fumble late in Week 8.
The Steelers have had back-to-back games of over 400 total yards on offense for the first time since 2018, and the Steelers’ best players are suddenly looking capable of shouldering the load. Najee Harris is now at three straight games over 100 rushing yards. George Pickens continues to make big plays and would have had a monster game if not for some overturned and negated touchdowns. Most importantly, Wilson is spreading the ball around to all the different pass catchers available to him.
Wilson probably deserved some of the criticism for his leadership and personality over the last few years. He turned into Mr. Hollywood with a celebrity wife, designer clothes, and corny catch phrases. To his credit, none of that has been an issue in Pittsburgh. He is getting along well with everybody, including the quarterback he replaced in the starting lineup. Wilson has his own personal handshakes with each individual playmaker on offense. There are currently no downsides showing themselves, and it’s been nothing but good vibes and winning football games.
