Patrick Peterson on Russell Wilson joining Pittsburgh Steelers: 'A match made in heaven'

The Steelers likely are figuring out the best ways to use Russell Wilson. Surely new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is having fun at the thought of a new offensive toy.

Patrick Peterson, the former Steelers cornerback, raves about the idea of Wilson in black and gold. The cornerback was a guest host Thursday for Good Morning Football on NFL Network. And he had this to say about Pittsburgh signing Wilson, the one-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

“I think this is a match made in heaven,” Peterson said. “When you have a head coach that has the ability to gear his team up for whatever that presents itself. And then you have a quarterback that has that same fire… That could be a dangerous football team.”

It could be a dream scenario for the Steelers.

"I think this is a match made in heaven… When you have a head coach that has the ability to gear his team up for whatever that presents itself and then you have a QB that has that same fire… That could be a dangerous football team."@P2 on Russell Wilson to the Steelers pic.twitter.com/Xebp9DWhJ4

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) March 14, 2024

Pittsburgh created some major noise to kick off the free agency season. And the first big move was signing Wilson. The Steelers did so hoping that the past two seasons with Wilson were an aberration. It was almost as if the quarterback left all his savvy in Seattle when the Seahawks traded him to the Broncos two seasons ago.

Peterson believes Smith will use Wilson more effectively than Sean Payton did in the Mile High City. The long-time DB says Wilson is not a drop-back passer. Rather, he prefers to throw on the move, while relying on a ton of play-action. The Steelers have two quality running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to give them effective play-action options. However, they have some rebuilding to do with the receivers, considering they released Allen Robinson and traded away Diontae Johnson to Carolina.

Meanwhile, the Steelers also need to figure out how they are handling both Wilson and Kenny Pickett. For much of the last two seasons, Pickett was the starting quarterback. The Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2022, selecting the QB from the hometown Pitt Panthers.

Pickett missed the last five games of the 2023 season after having surgery to treat a high ankle sprain. Mitch Trubisky, then Mason Rudolph took over as QB1. Neither is with the team anymore. The Bills signed Trubisky when the Steelers released him. Rudolph’s contract was up. So he signed with the Titans.

Meanwhile, Peterson needs a new home. The former LSU star played only one season in Pittsburgh. He is hoping to extend his career to a 14th year.