The Pittsburgh Steelers threw Russell Wilson a life-preserver after he was cut by the Denver Broncos, inking him to a one-year deal and putting him in a position to start again in 2024. By the looks of things, Wilson is more than looking forward to the opportunity.
In an interview with Essence, Wilson said that he’s happy for a chance to play for and learn under Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. He said it’s “one of the greatest gifts in the world” to play for a coach like Tomlin in an organization like the Steelers.
“To play 13 years in the NFL has been a dream come true…” Wilson said. “To be able to play for Mike Tomlin; to stand side by side with him and try to accomplish all the goals that I want to accomplish with the Steelers organization, and what that represents for the NFL, is one of the greatest gifts in the world.”
Tomlin is heading into his 18th NFL season and this past year extended his record-setting streak of seasons without a losing campaign to start a career. But the team’s patience with him is believed to be wearing thin.
Pittsburgh have not won a playoff play since 2016 and have not reached the Super Bowl since their loss to the Packers in Super Bowl XLV.
Russell Wilson’s recent form hasn’t been much better though. None of his teams have reached the Super Bowl since their loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, and he has just three playoff wins since that interception to Malcolm Butler.
All of the enthusiasm for working with Tomlin won’t mean much if he can’t play winning football on Sundays.