When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed QB Russell Wilson to a one-year deal in free agency in March, one of the biggest questions — outside of his abilities on the field — was whether Wilson’s perceived ego and his diva tendencies would fit into Pittsburgh’s blue-collar culture under head coach Mike Tomlin.
Entering Week 15 of the season with the Steelers at 10-3 and Wilson thriving as a leader on and off the field, the answer is an emphatic yes.
How did Tomlin do it, getting Wilson to be one of the guys and not need to be the face of the franchise? It’s rather simple actually.
“I wanted to treat him real regular. That’s what he needed,” Tomlin told NFL on FOX’s of how he is getting this version out of Wilson, according to video via NFL on FOX’s pregame show. “You know, whether he wanted it or not, that’s what he needed, just to be one of the guys. As he reestablishes himself, we just put him in the pack and treated him like one of the pack.
“That’s probably refreshing for him. It allows him to focus on his vocation, which is playing quarterback.”
When Wilson was traded to Denver from Seattle in a massive compensation package, which also included Wilson signing a huge long-term contract, a ton of external pressure was placed on him in the Mile High City. Wilson had to be the face of the franchise and the voice of reason, both in the locker room and in the community.
That was a lot for him to handle, especially since he didn’t play well in 2022 and then started slow in 2023, clashing with Sean Payton in the process. Some of those off-the-field responsibilities led to some criticism from Payton ahead of the 2023 season, as Payton said Wilson didn’t need to be “kissing babies” in an effort to drum up support for the Broncos.
That was a sign the partnership wasn’t going to work. Then, after the 2023 season, Payton and the Broncos took on the $80+ million dead cap charge to get rid of Wilson, cleaning the way for him to sign with the Steelers.
In Pittsburgh, Wilson stepped into a locker room with plenty of leaders and a coaching staff filled with strong voices and plenty of experience. That allowed Wilson to take a step back and regroup, focusing on being the quarterback and leading a young offense on the field.
While Wilson is active in the Pittsburgh community, he hasn’t needed to be the face of the franchise and handle the responsibilities that come with that.
And as Tomlin stated, putting Wilson into the pack and letting him be one of the guys, rather than treating him differently due to his resume or his role has done wonders for the veteran quarterback, and the Steelers.
Wilson has reenergized and revived the organization, putting the Steelers firmly in position to contend for a Super Bowl for the first time in a number of years.
