The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to embark on the 2024 NFL season with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson at the helm. Wilson arrives in Steeltown after two very trying seasons in Denver.
While Wilson’s time in the Mile High City wasn’t the greatest he showed that showed he’s still got some of what made him one of the best signal-callers during his ten-year run in Seattle.
Wilson is coming off of a tumultuous two seasons in Denver, where he signed a five-year, $245 million extension, only to be released.
While most teams wanted no part of Wilson, the Steelers, who haven’t had competent QB play since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season, jumped at the opportunity to sign Wilson.
Mark Schlereth Doesn’t Think Russell Wilson Has Anything Left
Now Wilson is set to lead a talented Steelers offense under head coach Mike Tomlin, who’s got a record 17 consecutive non-losing seasons to begin a coaching career.
But not everyone is sold on the move. In fact, former Broncos offensive lineman Mark Schlereth doesn’t believe Wilson has it anymore.
Never one to shy away from speaking his mind, Schlereth had a lot to say on his “The Stinkin’ Truth” podcast about Wilson’s recent performances.
“I think when you’re delusional, you think you can point the finger at eight million different places that say, ‘This is why this happened. This is why,’” Schlereth said. “That toxic positivity and surrounding yourself with people that basically tell you ‘it’s not your fault, man.’ I mean, that’s not derogatory, that’s just a fact.”
Mark Schlereth Has Called Out Russell Wilson In The Past
This isn’t the first time Schlereth has called out Wilson, the three-time Super Bowl champion as a key member of the Broncos and Redskins didn’t miss the opportunity to bash Wilson during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” in March.
“The way Russ played, the way he’s played the last couple years, he’s diminished,” Schlereth said. “He doesn’t throw the ball in the middle of the football field, he doesn’t anticipate throws. You can sit here and tell me all day long that 26 TDs, eight interceptions, I’ll tell you garbage numbers. The things he does, he’s just not good enough anymore.”
Schlereth might not be the one to listen to as it pertains to Wilson; he’s never really been a fan. But to say Russell’s not that good anymore and most of his work last season was a result of the Broncos being down just isn’t true.
Wilson Is Still Solid, A Huge Upgrade
When you consider that Wilson had more touchdowns (26) last season than the Steelers three quarterbacks had the last two seasons combined, you have to believe he’ll be able to duplicate that in Pittsburgh this upcoming season. Wilson will be in a run-heavy offense, which he thrived in during his ten seasons in Seattle.
With running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren toting the rock, Wilson will have opportunities to use the play-action pass and push the football down the field.
That, along with a strong offensive line and solid defense, is how Wilson led the Seahawks to eight playoff appearances in his ten seasons in the Pacific Northwest. He also led the team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, winning one.
Tomlin Recently Extended, Wilson Hopes To Join Him
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game in seven seasons (2016) and although team brass gave him a three-year contract extension last week, they wanna see postseason results.
As for Wilson, he and backup Justin Fields are in many ways auditioning to stay in Pittsburgh beyond this season with basically one-year deals. The pressure is on Tomlin and his newfound signal-callers, especially Wilson, whose time as a starter could be up if the experiment doesn’t work.
