Russell Wilson Explains Why He Chose to Sign With Steelers

The quarterback expanded on his decision in free agency.

Quarterback Russell Wilson will begin his third professional act in 2024.

The first act was his 10-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks, where he made his name leading the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl title and becoming an Emerald City legend forever.

The second act, conversely, was a dud of a two-year stay with the Denver Broncos after a blockbuster trade in March 2022.

Now, Wilson is on a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his introductory press conference Friday, Wilson outlined why he chose to join the team at a crossroads in his career.

“It’s a great tradition. To be able to work, to be able to compete with these guys every single day, it’s the gift of this game,” Wilson said. “The reason I came here is because I wanted to be able to win championships with coach [Mike] Tomlin and these guys in the locker room.”

.@DangeRussWilson talks about joining the #Steelers: pic.twitter.com/fvXvKrMRpT

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 15, 2024

While they have yet to flatline under the consistent Tomlin, the Steelers have struggled a bit in recent years. The team’s last playoff win came all the way back in 2016 in the divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We’ve got so many great players. Guys like (defensive tackle) Cam Heyward,” Wilson said. “And obviously (linebacker) Mr. T.J. Watt himself, a guy who should be Defensive Player of the (Year) I don’t know how many—this was the third, fourth time he could’ve won it.

“... I’m grateful for the opportunity to get after and do what we came here to do and that’s to win football games.”

The Steelers will pay a visit to Denver on the road at Mile High Stadium in 2024, a matchup guaranteed to feature plenty of revenge storylines leading up to it.