Russell Wilson’s time in Pittsburgh is off to a promising start, claims Steelers' Pat Freiermuth: "He's starting to build that connection"
Russell Wilson will enter the 2024 NFL season playing for his third team in the past four years. After a failed two-year run with the Denver Broncos after being traded by the Seattle Seahawks, he was shockingly released. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers shortly after that during the 2024 NFL free agency period, giving them a change at quarterback.
The veteran quarterback has reportedly wasted no time getting acclimated to his new position and building relationships with his new teammates. While the offseason programs have yet to officially kick off, Wilson has already been working with some of his offensive weapons in California for private workouts.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth went into detail during an appearance on "Around the 412":
"I was just down there in San Diego with him working out and throwing routes. He's been great at talking to guys and starting to build that connection. He's a great guy. You can tell the drive and determination that he has to win, and come to Pittsburgh and win some playoff games for us."
The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to find production from the quarterback position in recent seasons, but they still managed to make it into the NFL playoffs last year. Pat Freiermuth seems to believe that by upgrading to Russell Wilson, they can take another step forward and potentially advance in the postseason this year.
Wilson put together a strong statistical season last year, including throwing for 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. The issue is that he was unable to consistently win games. This likely contributed to Sean Payton benching him at the end of the season for Jarrett Stidham.
He will look to turn things around in Pittsburgh, and Freiermuth is confident that he can. The Steelers may not be as sure about their recent acquisition, as they also traded for Justin Fields after signing Wilson.
Whatever the case may be, the franchise appears determined to get back to being Super Bowl contenders, and that started with completely changing their quarterback room.
Russell Wilson's record with Broncos
Russell Wilson began his career by turning in nine consecutive winning seasons as the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. He also appeared in two Super Bowls and won a ring in one of them. His 10th year in Seattle was his first losing season, which resulted in being traded to the Denver Broncos in the offseason.
The Broncos made a major commitment to Wilson, surrendering a massive package of draft picks and players to acquire him. They also made him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history before he ever took a snap for his new team. They believed that he would make them Super Bowl contenders, but it didn't work out that way.
In two seasons as a starter in Denver, Russell Wilson turned in a disappointing 11-19 record. This resulted in them cutting him after just two years, despite him signing a five-year contract extension. In fact, the Broncos were so ready to move on from Wilson that they will be paying him $38 million for the 2024 NFL season, despite him playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.