Russell Wilson says playing for Mike Tomlin is 'one of the greatest gifts in the world'

Russell Wilson is ready to make a Super Bowl run with Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In an interview with Essence, the 35-year-old quarterback talked about joining the Steelers after a challenging stint with the Denver Broncos.

To play 13 years in the NFL has been a dream come true,” he said, adding that “to be able to play for Mike Tomlin; to stand side by side with him and try to accomplish all the goals that I want to accomplish with the Steelers organization, and what that represents for the NFL, is one of the greatest gifts in the world.” 

Wilson and Tomlin have had a lot of success in the NFL. Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances with one win. Tomlin did the same thing with the Steelers, winning the title in 2008 and losing to the Green Bay Packers two years later.

The Super Bowl win for Wilson was big as he became the second Black quarterback to win the championship. “For me to be able to go to back-to-back Super Bowls, and win one of them, I think opened up a lot of doors,” Wilson said. “Now you see guys like Patrick Mahomes who won it; it’s really just us so far, but there’s more to come.”

Wilson added: “What I love to see is guys getting drafted early, and that a lot of teams these days have Black quarterbacks playing for them. … It’s all across the league, and it’s showing how the National Football League is starting to evolve, change, and break down barriers. I think one of the biggest blessings of my career so far is that I’ve been fortunate to be able to open up doors for others, because of what others did for me.”

Mike Tomlin belives in Russell Wilson

Along with adding Wilson to the roster, the Steelers traded for Justin Fields, which led to some speculation of a QB competition between the two. Tomlin spoke to reporters at the NFL Owners Meetings in March and said Wilson is the starter.

“Russell is a veteran, man,” Tomlin said. “He’s got a proven process of readiness. He’s been in this league a long time, and he’s capable of rallying troops, receivers, tight ends and running backs. Got a lot of experience in terms of what it takes over the course of a 12-month calendar. I just think that’s something that a younger guy like Justin can learn from, and it provides clarity for all parties involved as they do some of the informal things at this time of year. 

On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this report.