Steelers QB Wanted to Be Patrick Mahomes But Failed

The Pittsburgh Steelers new quarterback had better plans for himself before coming to the black and gold.

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) speaks with media after the win over the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks are waiting on the final word about who will start in Week 1. For Justin Fields, this could be an opportunity to cement himself as the future of the franchise. For Russell Wilson, this is an opportunity to bounce back from two tough years with the Denver Broncos.

It's tough to decide who needs this more. A career-saving opportunity for Fields versus a resurection of a career for Wilson. And one NFL insider believes the nine-time Pro Bowler, Wilson, is using his time in Pittsburgh to beat a failed outlook in Denver.

"Before you know it, Russell [Wilson] is slipping down the stack of the best quarterbacks in football, through no fault of his own," NFL insider Mike Florio said on 93.7 The Fan. "These other guys are better. Why are they better? Well, the offense runs through them. They get to do all this stuff, and Russ is basically shackled by the Seahawks’ love of running the ball and playing defense and being conservative."

"[Wilson] wanted to be [Patrick] Mahomes or [Josh] Allen, and he found out after two years in Denver, that’s not who he is," Florio then added. "They get him back to being what he was in Seattle, he can be successful again. And Mike Tomlin clearly believes it. The fact that Mike Tomlin didn’t bother to call Sean Payton tells me everything I need to know. They view the last two years as an aberration and they think they can make Russell Wilson into who he was in Seattle."

Wilson's last few years in the NFL have been filled with criticism, but his numbers haven't been too poor. Despite an 11-19 record with the Broncos, Wilson threw for 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. His last season in Seattle, he threw for 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The Steelers brought in a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, who is looking to finally cater the offense to his players, especially Wilson. That is, if he plays in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. But if he does, Pittsburgh is confident he's the missing piece to their Super Bowl run, and are going to give Wilson every opportunity to re-write the final chapter of his NFL career.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

• Paul Skenes Just Won the Hearts of Steelers Fans
• Steelers Release Final Week 1 Injury Report
• Steelers Sign Pat Freiermuth to Huge Extension
• Steelers Closing In on TE Deal
• Steelers LB Named Week 1 Community MVP