The Denver Broncos pitstop didn’t work out for quarterback Russell Wilson. He was eventually released in March and traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he has successfully secured his first three wins in Steel City.
Russell Wilson Weighs In on the Decision To Sign With the Steelers
While talking to ESPN’s Hannah Storm, Wilson talked about his thought process when he heard that he was being released from the Denver Broncos while also discussing what made him choose the Steelers as his next team:
“I think there are two moments, and both are kind of simultaneously. When I got released, I was like, ‘Okay, here we go.’ Like, it’s gonna be interesting. Several teams started calling everything else. Suddenly, my first call was with Mike Tomlin and Omar [Steelers GM]. And I got to talk to those guys early in the morning, about 7:30 in the morning, my time on the West Coast, for a while, about an hour and a half.
“I think coach Tomlin and I have the same vision of ball, the love for the game, the passion behind it, and the obsession with it. And then, after talking to coach Tomlin and having a great conversation, I spent about two hours with Cam Heyward.”
Wilson played with the Broncos for two seasons, during which time he secured a record of 11-19 while throwing for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions in 30 games.
In the former Broncos QB’s debut season, the team finished the season with a 5-12 record, where Wilson struggled to put points on the board, scoring only 16 touchdowns while getting sacked 55 times.
While things seemed better under Sean Payton after head coach Nathaniel Hackett was fired, the Broncos head coach decided Bo Nix was a better fit to lead the team and manage its offense.
Russell Wilson Offers Insight on His Retirement Plans
The Steelers quarterback is now 35 years old, and retirement rumors swirl at different times. Still, during the latest interview with ESPN, he made his intentions clear regarding his ideal timeline in the league.
“I definitely want to play another five to seven years,” he told ESPN’s Hannah Storm. “I think that’s always been my goal, I’ve been clear about that since the beginning. I think that’s always been my mindset is the longevity of the game. I’ve been fortunate to be able to play 200-plus games and really not miss many. … I feel great, I feel young, I feel like I can still move around out there and make all the decisions and all the throws.”
Wilson has threw for 737 yards and scored six touchdowns and one interception in the three games he’s started for the Steelers this season.