Russell Wilson named quarterback most under pressure in AFC

There’s truly nothing on the line for Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson only than his professional legacy and the hopes of a football-proud city.

Yes, that is a ton of pressure. Will Wilson, in his first season in Pittsburgh, be more like his Pro Bowl self like he was with the Seahawks. Or will his play more closely resemble what he showed with the Broncos the past two seasons?

Wilson will be 36 this November. There’s probably not a ton of time left for a career reset. So there’s nothing like a now-or-never situation. No wonder CBS Sports listed Wilson as the quarterback most under pressure in the AFC.

Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports wrote of the new Steelers QB:

“As we all remember, Wilson had his worst NFL season ever with (Broncos) head coach Nathaniel Hackett in 2022. Last year, the Denver Broncos traded for Sean Payton to fix Wilson, and while the 35-year-old did improve, it definitely wasn’t good enough. Wilson still had a losing record as starter, averaged his worst yards per attempt ever (6.9) and was benched after a home loss to the 3-11 New England Patriots. That led the Broncos to take on an NFL-record $85 million in dead cap.

“Can Wilson return to form in Pittsburgh and make people forget about his Broncos days? He’s also facing a different element of pressure with Justin Fields behind him on the depth chart. The athletic former first-round pick is also hungry to prove himself, and there’s no doubt he’s going to be pushing Wilson.”

The Steelers will start to see how this all shakes out this Wednesday, when Pittsburgh shifts to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., for their training camp. Latrobe has served as the Steelers’ summer home since 1967.

All four Steelers quarterbacks — Wilson, Fields, Kyle Allen and John Rhys Plumlee — worked out together this past week in Southern California. Also on the scene were receivers Roman Wilson, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin and tight end Connor Heyward. George Pickens wasn’t there. But he worked out with Fields in Austin, Tx, the week before. Fields’ training group also included other young quarterbacks Jordan Love and CJ Stroud.

The Steelers aren’t risking much financially by using Wilson. The Broncos are on the hook for much of Wilson’s salary in 2024, so the Steelers need pay him only the NFL veteran minimum. It’s a similar financial situation for Fields. Pittsburgh needs to pay the former Bears starter the final season of his rookie contract.

But the Steelers did remake their offense with Wilson as the likely leader of it all. Pittsburgh hired Arthur Smith, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach, as its offensive coordinator. In addition, they traded Kenny Pickett, the starting quarterback for the past two seasons, to the Eagles. And they declined to re-sign Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky.

So no pressure on Wilson, right?

If you’re curious, the others on the CBS Sports list were big names. Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphns) ranked second, followed by Deshaun Watson (Browns), Aaron Rodgers (Jets) and Will Levis (Titans).