Quarterback Russell Wilson said he feels revitalized ahead of his 13th NFL season and first year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I feel the fountain of youth,” Wilson said Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “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.”
He added: “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 signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh following two uneven campaigns with the Denver Broncos. The quarterback signed a five-year, $242.5-million contract extension in 2022 but was benched down the stretch of the 2023 season and ultimately released in March.
Wilson passed for a career-low 16 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions in 2022. He bounced back last year to pass for 3,070 yards, 26 TDs, and eight interceptions, with a 66.4% completion rate.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Wilson is in “pole position” to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback ahead of former first-round passer Justin Fields.
“It’s a competition. Obviously, we get to (training camp), I’m sure things will heat up, but both those guys knew that,” Smith said.
Fields is also a new addition to the Steelers’ new-look QB room. The team traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, released Mitch Trubisky, and didn’t re-sign Mason Rudolph this offseason.
