Russell Wilson thinks he can rebound with Steelers: ‘I feel the fountain of youth’

National Football League

Updated Jun. 11, 2024 10:00 p.m. ET

After two rough seasons with the Denver Broncos, Russell Wilson is ready for a fresh start with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks has an opportunity to revive his career, and he plans to do just that.

“Man, I feel the fountain of youth,” Wilson told reporters after Steelers’ first mandatory minicamp, via ESPN. “I feel revived in every way, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I feel confident. I think at some point you have to know who you are as a player, as a man, as a competitor. As somebody who’s been fortunate to be able to play this game, I don’t doubt it. I trust it. I felt really good last year playing. I felt really confident in the midst of everything. And so I think right now I have all that confidence times 10.”

Wilson’s two-year tenure with the Broncos ended in an 11-19 record and a failure to make the playoffs. He was controversially benched with two games left in the 2023 season after reportedly refusing to restructure his contract and then released in March, after the season ended. The Broncos are eating nearly $86 million in dead money against the salary cap as part of releasing him.

Yet Wilson remains the favorite to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2024 season, new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith confirmed to reporters Tuesday. Wilson is facing competition from fellow new arrival Justin Fields, the former Chicago Bears starting quarterback who arrived in Pittsburgh via trade last spring.

The Steelers have struggled with inconsistent quarterback play since the retirement of Ben Rothliesberger after the 2021 season. They still made the playoffs last season but lost in the wild-card round to the Buffalo Bills with Mason Rudolph starting under center.

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