Considering how rough he looked with the Denver Broncos, it’s incredible what Russell Wilson is doing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just a few weeks ago, he threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns. That was one of his best games in the NFL. Most people didn’t think he still had that left in him. Now, the narrative seems to have flipped for Wilson. Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons even believes this could be the best version of Wilson yet.
“Russ has been playing on a very, very high level,” Parsons said recently on The Edge podcast. “I think he’s sneaking into the MVP candidacy. He’s playing very, very good football. Honestly, I think he’s being better than Seattle Russ.”
It’s one thing to say that Wilson deserves to be in the MVP conversation. It’s another thing entirely to suggest this is the best version of him in the NFL. Wilson is exceeding expectations with the Steelers, but with the Seattle Seahawks, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
It isn’t crazy to suggest Wilson get some buzz for MVP. He probably shouldn’t win the award, but tossing his name in the conversation doesn’t hurt anything. He has been extremely valuable to the Steelers. Their offense performs so much better with him in the lineup.
Wilson spent 10 years with the Seahawks. In that time, he put up 37,059 passing yards, 292 touchdowns, and only 87 interceptions. He also helped lead them to two Super Bowls, winning one. Not to take anything away from what Wilson has done with the Steelers, but these seven games aren’t better than when he was at his best with the Seahawks.
Maybe the biggest difference between Wilson now and then is his athleticism. He can still move, but he isn’t the runner he once was. In Seattle, Wilson put up 4,689 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He had multiple seasons where he rushed for over 500 yards. No matter how good Wilson has been this year, that element of his game is mostly gone.
Parsons’ support for Wilson is appreciated, but he might be taking it a step too far. Wilson has done a phenomenal job with the Steelers. However, he was a better player with the Seahawks. If the Steelers had that version of Wilson, there’d be zero questions about them being Super Bowl contenders. Wilson can still be that player sometimes but not all the time.
