Russell Wilson may have dropped some of his slogans and nicknames that defined the moments before his fall with the Denver Broncos, but he’s regained a lot of that same swagger without the negative attention that came with some of it.
This version of Wilson is reminiscent of the quiet, confident player who burst onto the scene in 2012 as a rookie before becoming “DangerRuss” or “Mr. Unlimited.” Maybe it was the conversation that Cameron Heyward and others had with Wilson before he signed in Pittsburgh or a realization after his failed tenure with the Broncos, but Wilson has ceased his pursuit of the spotlight.
He’s fit right into the hard-working, blue-collar mentality for which Pittsburgh is known. But the quiet confidence is all the way back.
“You don’t wanna face the Steelers at this point in the season,” former WR Nate Burleson said via NFL Today on CBS on Sunday evening. “You don’t wanna face Russell Wilson right now. Yeah, don’t look now, but my man is back in his groove. My man got a swagger back.”
Wilson is one of the best clutch quarterbacks of all time. He has only logged one fourth-quarter comeback and game-winning drive this season — it came against the Washington Commanders — but he’s still done an excellent job in the second half throughout his seven games in Pittsburgh.
After halftime, Wilson has completed 60 of his 87 attempts for 934 yards, seven touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 121.5 passer rating. His adjusted net yards per passing attempt in the second half this season is 10.83.
Here is one of his touchdowns in the second half to Pat Freiermuth. He masterfully influenced the safety with his eyes and posture before snapping back to make the pass up the seam. This looks like a quarterback in his mental prime.
Over the course of a full season, Wilson would be on pace for 335 completions for 4,333 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He would be on pace for 14.5 wins. Many of these numbers rival his career highs in what is considered by many to be a Hall of Fame career.
During the early portions of his career, when the Seattle Seahawks were built similarly to the 2024 Steelers, Wilson was 8-4 in the playoffs. His next step will be bringing playoff success back to Pittsburgh.
