Craig Carton of FS1 recently made a bold prediction in regards to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. He thinks Wilson is in the perfect situation to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
The Steelers bolstered the offensive line in the draft and have a strong running back duo in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. They could use another wide receiver, which could be in the works with Omar Khan, but Wilson certainly has a talented roster around him.
“He’s gonna have a great year. This is gonna be a rejuvenation of Russell Wilson’s career, and I feel sure about that,” Carton said on FS1’s The Carton Show. “He’s got all the pieces now put back together to have success. And I’m not even a Russell Wilson guy, Russell Wilson is going to be the Comeback Player of the Year, and is going have a huge year — 4,000-plus yards, they’re going to the playoffs. And if you told me now that they’re fighting for the division in December, I would buy it a hundred percent.”
NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger believes the Steelers new offensive line will be the best Wilson has had.
“I think it’s gonna be the best offensive line by far that Russell Wilson has played behind, probably ever, once this group really begins to gel and come together. I think that’s gonna help him. He’s always been a guy that wanted to move, that because of his size and height, he’s always had to find the openings in order to make these throws,” Baldinger said 0n 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show.
Wilson had a tumultuous two-year tenure with the Denver Broncos, especially in regards to his relationship with head coach Sean Payton. Carton thinks he’s in a stable environment now with Mike Tomlin.
“You have a competent veteran quarterback, with competent veteran coaching, and competent veteran ownership,” Carton said. “He’s got all the pieces now put together to have success.”
Joe Flacco won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2023, while Geno Smith won the award in 2022. It’s definitely not out of reach, but Wilson will have to really show out in 2024 to make Carton’s prediction come to fruition. The last Steelers player to win Comeback Player of the Year was quarterback Tommy Maddox in 2002.