If it seems like Russell Wilson has been spending more time on the ground lately, it’s because he has. In fact, in the Steelers’ loss to the Chiefs, he took a season-high five sacks. In all, Wilson took 10 sacks during an 11-day stretch across three games. And he has himself to blame as much as any other quarterback does.
During the past three games, Russell Wilson has taken 40 snaps under pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. (A subscription is required.) They charge him with being responsible for the pressure on 22.5 percent of those plays, including one sack. He is the only quarterback during that stretch with at least 20 snaps under pressure responsible for as many himself.
This is, of course, and to nobody’s surprise, a season-long issue. Among all qualifying quarterbacks, Russell Wilson is responsible for the second-highest quarterback pressure rate in the NFL. The only quarterback responsible for more of his own pressures is his replacement in Denver, Bo Nix. And he has been trending in the right direction, while Wilson has largely stayed static.
Over the course of the season, Wilson has been responsible for 23 percent of the pressures he has faced. That is statistically no different than the rate he has been responsible for over this most recent stretch. But this is also nothing new for the Steelers quarterback over the course of his career.
In his final season with the Broncos in 2023, for example, Russell Wilson led the NFL in own pressures percentage. PFF charged him with 24.3 percent of his own pressures in 2023. He was much better in 2022 at just 17.9, but he was also playing more conservatively due to injury.
Rarely has Wilson been outside the 18-22-percent range, at least the way PFF has calculated it since 2017. I’ll note that their numbers prior to that seem to reflect a different grading rubric because the numbers are lower. Then again, the typical leaders in this category weren’t in the league then, like Patrick Mahomes.
Oh yes, that’s right, the best quarterbacks in the NFL also tend to be responsible for a high percentage of their own pressures. In 2024, Mahomes ranks third behind Nix and Wilson. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are also tied for sixth.
Justin Fields is fourth on that list, too, perhaps some further vindication for the Steelers’ offensive line. Between him and Wilson, they have had to block all season for quarterbacks more likely to create trouble for themselves. In fact, PFF charges the Steelers’ OL with the second-lowest pressure responsibility at 73 percent. I’ll note that multiple parties can be blamed for pressure on a play, as well.
