PITTSBURGH — It’s Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for the Pittsburgh Steelers. As wild of a statement as that seems now, it is the truth, and Wilson is slated to be the starter. However, Wilson’s reported starting role is tenuous at a one-year veteran minimum.
However, Wilson’s goal is to play for five to seven more years as an NFL quarterback, but more than that, he hopes that he can turn his stint with the Steelers into one that can be more than just a one-off for both sides.
“I see it as a long-term goal,” Wilson said. “I want to be part of the Pittsburgh community for a really long time and I’m really excited about that.”
The 35-year-old quarterback expressed a desire to call Pittsburgh home, especially because of their Super Bowl-winning tradition.
“I was fortunate to have several teams call, but this was the place I wanted to be,” Wilson said. “To be a Pittsburgh Steeler, to wear the black and gold, it’s a true honor, it’s tradition, it’s history. There’s six trophies in there. We’re coming to get a seventh.”
Wilson is coming off a stint with the Denver Broncos that should lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to some pause. And while they added him as their likely starter, Wilson’s stint in the Mile High City had its trials and tribulations. So, what went wrong?
He described the struggles in his first season with lat injury, and in his second season, he felt much better about his level of play.
“I think it’s all about how you look at it,” Wilson said. “In life, a lot of times when things don’t go your way, you can look at it as disappointing [or] you can look at it as growth moments. For me, my first year [in Denver] I had my lat. I was playing on it, pushing through it. Should I have done that? You know, you compete every day. You got to do what you got to do. Everything didn’t go our way. This past year, I felt like myself again. I felt like myself again, so I can’t wait to just put on the cleats and go after it.”