The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a ton of unexpected success during the 2024 season. The team has already surpassed most people's expectations as it has a 9-3 record going into Week 14 and seems to be a strong contender in the AFC. Pittsburgh has a firm lead in the AFC North over the Baltimore Ravens, and a lot of that has to do with the quarterback play from Russell Wilson. The signal-caller was coming off of a rough two seasons with the Denver Broncos, and he had a point to prove coming into the 2024 campaign.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson hugs Davante Adams after the win over the Jets.
Wilson took over the starting job in Pittsburgh after Week 6, and has gone 5-1 as a starter for the Steelers. The quarterback almost looks like he is back in his prime, aside from his mobility. He has upped the production for the Steelers' offense and has turned the franchise into serious competitors in the AFC. Robert Griffin III joined Barstool Sports' Pro Football Show on Friday and spoke about a conversation he had with Wilson after he signed with the Steelers during the offseason.
"I sat down with Russ; this was at the ESPYS." Griffin said. "He talked to me for like 3 hours and the way he talked to me let me know that this was going to happen. He was still the confident guy that I remember when we came out of the draft. He felt determined to prove to everybody that it wasn't him in Denver, so I'm excited for him."
Wilson's time in Denver was nothing short of a disaster. He was traded there ahead of the 2022 season and the team was so bad that it had to fire its head coach before the 2022 season was even over. Denver then hired Sean Payton ahead of the 2023 season, and the coach and Wilson did not have a great working relationship. Wilson was eventually benched near the end of the year, and it became clear that Wilson and Denver were going to part ways.
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Russell Wilson looks up at the scoreboard during a game with the Denver Broncos.
Despite being benched, Wilson still had a decent year with Denver in 2023. The quarterback threw for 26 touchdowns in just 15 games while only throwing eight interceptions on the year.
Payton becoming the head coach of the Broncos was an issue as he didn't get to pick Wilson to be his quarterback, and he clearly wanted someone younger that was hand-picked by the Super Bowl-winning coach. Payton eventually got his wish, as Wilson was released and Denver selected Bo Nix in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Steelers quickly signed Wilson to a one-year deal, and he signed for the minimum as Denver still owed him a lot of his guaranteed money from the five-year extension he signed ahead of the 2022 season. Wilson has certainly proved he is a good quarterback still, and it has become clear that Payton might have been the issue while the two were in Denver together.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson warms up prior to a game against the New York Giants in 2024.
Steelers' Russell Wilson Has Bought Himself A Future In Pittsburgh
Wilson came into the 2024 season on just a one-year deal, but his play has shown that the Steelers need to offer the quarterback a new contract after the season. Wilson is certainly on the tail-end of his career, but he could still be a good quarterback for the next couple of years. The Steelers will likely look to sign Wilson to a two or three-year deal, and there has been some speculation that Wilson will be willing to take a team-friendly deal.
The veteran quarterback wants to win, and he is in the perfect situation to do that in Pittsburgh. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has embraced Wilson and instilled a ton of confidence in the player, and the two seem to be a duo that are capable of winning a Super Bowl.
What do you think about Griffin's conversation with Wilson? Let us know in the comments below!
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