Shortly after joining the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal in free agency and working with new teammates and coaches during OTAs and minicamp, quarterback Russell Wilson stated in June that he felt like he had found the fountain of youth in Pittsburgh
Based on his performance through his first seven starts on the season — he’s 6-1 in and has the Steelers at 10-3 entering Week 15 — that certainly seems to be the case.
Wilson has not only found the fountain of youth as a high-level quarterback in the NFL, he’s also revitalized and reenergized a proud franchise in Pittsburgh, one that had become stagnant in recent years due to the lack of playoff success and overall product that was put on the field.
For Ryan Clark, who appeared on ESPN’s Get Up Friday morning, Wilson has revitalized and reenergized the franchise. The former Steelers safety was asked if he thinks Wilson has a future in Pittsburgh beyond this season.
“I do. And he doesn’t have to be the future for the next five to 10 years, but I do believe he’s the future for the next two to three. The way that Russell Wilson has played has not only reenergized and revived the offense of the Pittsburgh Steelers but the entire organization, and you can just watch the way that he interacts with Coach [Mike] Tomlin,” Clark said, according to video via ESPN. ” I believe that Russell Wilson wants to be a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers as well. But when this team was sitting at 4-2 with Justin Fields, like many of us said, we believe that going forward, Justin Fields should be the starter of this team based on what we saw from Russell Wilson the last few years.
“But we were all wrong. And that’s why Coach Tomlin gets paid what he does.”
The decision to switch from Justin Fields as the starting quarterback entering Week 7 against the New York Jets was indeed controversial. It generated quite a bit of criticism for the Steelers, and specifically for head coach Mike Tomlin, who went “lone ranger” with the decision.
Since that move, things have paid off in a big way. Wilson has shaken off two rough years in Denver to get back to being a high-level quarterback in the NFL, one who is creating explosive plays at an elite rate for the Steelers.
With Wilson under center, the vibes are very high around the Steelers. There’s a real belief within the team, and the excitement is high. For the first time in a long time, the Steelers are being viewed as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, too.
It hasn’t been all Wilson, either. The offensive line has improved, receivers outside of George Pickens are stepping up, and the defense remains among the league’s elite. Not to mention, the Steelers’ special teams have been outstanding this season.
But there is a real flashpoint in the season where things got so much better for the Black and Gold, and that’s centered on the insertion of Wilson into the lineup. He’s brought a real energy and been the QB the Steelers have needed all along post-Ben Roethlisberger.
