Russ on joining Steelers: ‘Revived in every way’

PITTSBURGH — Though he’s 35 years old and entering his 13th season in the NFL, Russell Wilson says he’s hardly feeling his age.

The new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, who signed with the team on a one-year deal in March after two shaky seasons in Denver, said Tuesday he felt rejuvenated following the team’s first mandatory minicamp practice.

“Man, I feel the fountain of youth,” Wilson said, describing what fuels his drive. “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 had a tumultuous tenure with the Broncos, ultimately playing two years of a five-year, $245 million contract before his release. He was benched late last season for Jarrett Stidham and then released despite being owed $85 million by the Broncos.

Though he finished 2023 on the bench, Wilson rebounded from a 16-touchdown, 11-interception season hampered by a shoulder injury in 2022 to record 26 touchdowns and eight picks in 2023.

“This past year I felt like myself again,” Wilson said in March. “And so I can’t wait to just put on the cleats and go after it.”

Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Wilson has done just that in taking the reins of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme and a Steelers quarterback room that also includes Justin Fields, the 2021 first-round pick whom the Steelers acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bears.

Speaking to the media for the first time at length since he was hired, Smith said Tuesday it’s somewhat easier to install a new offense in a situation where the whole quarterback room is new, too.

“It’s probably easier than if you get a job like this and there’s a guy that’s maybe been here 10 years,” he said. “They may have a certain way they’ve done things. … We’re all new. And so that’s been fun.”

Though he hasn’t been formally named the starter, Wilson is in “pole position” for the job ahead of Fields, though Smith expects a competition to ramp up in training camp later this summer.

“Russ is in the pole position,” Smith said Tuesday, echoing coach Mike Tomlin’s favorite phrase to describe the situation. “It’s a competition. Obviously, we get to Latrobe, I’m sure things will heat up, but both those guys knew that, however they were acquired, and they got here and I think it’s been pretty transparent.”

Like his veteran quarterback, Smith also found Pittsburgh to be the right fit following his dismissal as the Atlanta Falcons‘ head coach after three seasons. Smith was in Dubai on his way to the Maldives for a postseason vacation with his wife when he got the call from Tomlin asking whether he would be interested in interviewing for the job. It was a no-brainer.

“It’s rare when you have a guy that’s been in one spot, had the success he’s had, that’s older, he’s done it for a longer time, somebody you can learn from and has really a shared belief,” Smith said of working with Tomlin. “So really it was a home run for me. It’s funny how life works that way. Things don’t go your way, and then a door opens, and I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”

And similar to Wilson, Smith didn’t even consider stepping away from football after being relieved of his duties from his old team.

“I don’t think anybody, you’re well-adjusted [if you] do this job, so maybe ask my wife, I don’t know,” Smith said with a chuckle. “Not old enough to want to sit out. I want to compete, and like I said, just thankful for the opportunities here.”