The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a great week in the 2024 NFL season, bouncing back from a loss to the Cleveland Browns with a resounding victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in a game in which quarterback Russell Wilson was the standout performer. Mike Tomlin‘s team is back on track and fighting for a Super Bowl berth.
In his first year with the Steelers, Wilson is proving that he has a lot to give and continues to be on top of his game. In the visit to Cincinnati, he threw for three touchdowns, overcoming two games in which he had only thrown for one touchdown.
The quarterback, who is 36 years old, would be part of the free agency at the end of the season and the Steelers are already moving to make him a contract extension offer. The truth is that such an outstanding level is a lure that attracts more than one franchise to keep the veteran Wilson. Tomlin, knowing that reality, has made clear the importance of the former Seattle Seahawks player in the Pittsburgh organization.
Why is Wilson a key player for the Steelers?
At the usual Tuesday press conference, Tomlin praised quarterback Wilson. “He’s a football guy. He loves the game and he loves to work. I think with that approach, it was easy for him to get on this train. He fit in well with the team because the love of football is our tenor. We like to take the mystique out of performance here,” Tomlin said when asked about Russ’ importance to the Steelers.
Wilson’s positive energy
Wilson has overcome a calf injury that kept him from making his Steelers debut during the first six weeks of the 2024 NFL season. Since then, he has accounted for 10 touchdowns in six games with Pittsburgh. The veteran quarterback’s greatest legacy, however, is his leadership. Everyone on the roster cites him as a positive leader. “He has a lot of energy and it seems to come naturally to him,” Tomlin said of Wilson’s attitude.
Can Wilson lead the Steelers to the Super Bowl?
Reaching the Super Bowl is something Wilson knows how to do, as he did it with the Seahawks in 2014 and 2015, winning one of those two games. A decade later, the Steelers quarterback will have to prove he’s ready for the big time. With Pittsburgh sitting atop the AFC North with a 9-3 record, all signs point to Mike Tomlin’s team having a good chance to control their own destiny in the playoffs with Wilson on the field.