Steelers' Russell Wilson Gives Retirement Timeline

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson's playing days are far from over.

Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the New York Giants during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Amidst a resurgence with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Russell Wilson has no intentions of hanging up his spikes in the immediate future.

ESPN's Hannah Storm conducted an interview with Wilson that aired before Pittsburgh's Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders, during which he stated that he plans to keep playing into his 40s.

"I definitely want to play another five to seven years," Wilson said. "I think that's always been my goal, I've been clear about that since the beginning. I think that's always been my mindset, is the longevity of the game. I've been fortunate to be able to play 200-plus games and really not miss many. ... I feel great, I feel young, I feel like I can still move around out there and make all the decisions and all the throws."

Wilson, who turns 36-years-old on Nov. 29, has more or less turned his career around since arriving in Pittsburgh.

Unanimously viewed as one of the NFL's top-notch quarterbacks throughout his 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks, a disastrous stint with the Denver Broncos threatened to permanently tarnish his legacy.

Wilson, who landed in Denver via trade in March 2022, inked a five-year extension worth $245 million with the team that promptly went down in infamy.

In games Wilson started, the Broncos held a 11-19 record. The veteran signal caller posted 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions over that stretch, all rather respectable numbers, but the ineptitude on display coupled with a failure to meet lofty expectations on an organizational level coaxed Denver into cutting bait.

Thus, the Broncos took on $85 million in dead money in order to release Wilson back in March. He would go on to sign a one-year contract with the Steelers worth $1.21 million, and the rest is history.

Calf injuries cut into Wilson's reps throughout training camp and the preseason before also holding him out of the first six games of the regular season, but he's quickly made up for lost time.

He's thrown for 737 yards, six touchdowns and an interception while holding a perfect 3-0 record over his three starts for Pittsburgh and helping the team's passing offense perform at unrecognizable levels.

Wilson is well on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, but he is still driven by his craving for another Lombardi trophy and additional accolades to tack on to his resume.

"So I think a big part of it too is just my focus right now is winning this week," Wilson said. "And then hopefully winning the next one, and then one after that and one after that. Then get to the end of the season, hopefully we're holding something that we'll forever remember. And so I had a goal of winning a couple more. That's why I came here."

He's set to hit free agency in the offseason, but it's hard to see a world in which Wilson doesn't return to the Steelers for some of the final years of his prolific career.

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