Russell Wilson is making quite the impression on his new Steelers teammates.
During a recent appearance on the Pittsburgh-centric sports podcast, “Around The 412,” Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth opened up about offseason workouts in California with Wilson, who joined the team in March following two rocky seasons in Denver, where he allegedly had few fans in the locker room.
“I was just down there in San Diego with him working out and throwing routes,” said Freiermuth, who has been with the Steelers since 2021.
“He’s been great at talking to guys and starting to build that connection. He’s a great guy. You can tell the drive and determination that he has to win and come to Pittsburgh and win some playoff games for us.”
Wilson, 35, agreed to a one-year contract with the Steelers at the start of free agency following his release from the Broncos.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback, who began his NFL career with the Seahawks in 2012, was originally traded to the Broncos in March 2022, with his arrival coming with much fanfare in the AFC West.
The playoff-level hype was short-lived with the quarterback posting the lowest number of touchdowns (16) and completion percentage (60.5) of his career in his first season in Denver.
The Broncos fired first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett in December 2022 after a dismal 4-11 start, with Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe alleging Wilson “ticked a lot of people off with [his] attitude.”
“You can come out here and talk about how we’re a team and I’m good with my teammates, but deep down inside, they’re seething, and I’m gonna leave it at that,” Sharpe said on FS1’s “Undisputed.”
Wilson apparently had his own office at the team’s facility during the Hackett era, something the coach’s successor, Sean Payton, was ready to turn the page on.
Although Wilson showed improvements under Payton, (66.4 completion percentage and 26 touchdowns) Denver benched the nine-time Pro Bowler for the final two games of the year.
The organization threatened to bench Wilson earlier in the season if he refused to defer his $37 million injury guarantee.
The Broncos swallowed a dead cap hit of $85 million with the release of Wilson, who originally agreed to a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the team in September 2022.
Wilson said he wants “to be part of the Pittsburgh community for a really long time.”
It’s been a wild offseason for the Steelers, who traded quarterback Kenny Pickett, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, to the Eagles making room for Justin Fields, the Bears’ 11th overall pick in 2021.
The Steelers acquired Fields for a sixth-round draft pick and the former first-rounder could push Wilson for the starting job this offseason.
Wilson, though, is considered the favorite to be the Week 1 starter.
