2021 Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt mans an imposing defense with the help of Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, while George Pickens is a hugely promising young receiver.
The one-two punch of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in the backfield has proven to be competent as well.
It certainly won’t hurt, either, that Wilson will get to play for Mike Tomlin, now the longest-tenured coach in the league and one of its most respected.
Even with an unimpressive Kenny Pickett the last two seasons (who was traded to the Eagles on Friday), and a sprinkling of backup Mason Rudolph, Tomlin still has never posted a losing season throughout his 17 seasons in Pittsburgh.
Now, he’ll be aiming higher than merely sneaking into the playoffs, as the team did last year, with nine-time Pro Bowler Wilson entering the fray.
‘To be a Pittsburgh Steeler, to wear the black and gold, it’s a true honor, it’s tradition, it’s history,’ Wilson told reporters at his introductory Pittsburgh presser. ‘There’s six trophies in there. We’re coming to get a seventh.’
following the signing of the veteran Wilson
The 35-year-old is no longer one of the league’s five or so best quarterbacks, but his team’s failures in Denver have swung public opinion of him a bit too far in the other direction.
If you claw past the constant barrage of memes poking fun at the self-serious quarterback, you’ll see he played pretty well for the Broncos last season: 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions show he can still be an effective player, if not the great one he used to be.
But that doesn’t mean that ‘Mr. Unlimited’ is quite finished.
While his exorbitant Denver contract was viewed as an overpay for a declining arm, Pittsburgh fans are now branding him a ‘steal’ after signing for near the league minimum.
The Kelce brother were also full of praise for Wilson after he signed with the Steelers.
On their podcast New Heights, Jason said: ‘Dude, this is like the only missing piece right now in Pittsburgh. If Russ is even close to the quarterback he used to be, this is an extremely dangerous team with what they’re working on the defensive side of the ball.’
To that Travis added: ‘I think Russ has a lot of good football left in him,man. He’s got that ‘it’ factor about him that we’ve seen so many times, and sure enough he’ll bring some veteran presence to that locker room.
