While Russell Wilson signed just a 1-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, both the quarterback and team appeared initially hopeful that the relationship would last much longer than one season.
But when ESPN’s Hannah Storm asked Wilson about how he sees his future now that he’s halfway through his one season with the Steelers, the quarterback made it clear it’s not on his mind.
“I’ve never really thought past the years most of the time when I’m playing,” Wilson said in an exclusive interview. “Anybody knows me, I’m so engulfed in the moment, you know? I think it’s so critical to be that way because it’s too hard to think about what’s ahead or what’s behind. It’s just being right here.
“You get the hardest position in the world every day. You know, you gotta be in the moment right now.”
Wilson missed the first six games of the season because of a calf injury. But he returned to make his Steelers debut in Week 7.
Pittsburgh is 3-0 since Wilson has returned.
Russell Wilson Experiencing Bounce Back Season Ahead of 36th Birthday
Despite being a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Wilson started as a rookie and immediately became an NFL star. He led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in his second season.
Over his first 10 seasons, Wilson posted a 104-53-1 record and made the Pro Bowl eight times.
But things started to decline for the veteran quarterback during his final season with the Seahawks in 2021. He battled a finger injury that season and finished the year with a 6-8 record in 14 games. It was the first time he posted a losing mark in an NFL season.
Seattle then traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season. Over two seasons in Denver, he failed to live up to his massive contract, leading the team to only an 11-19 record.
The Broncos wanted to move on from Wilson so badly this offseason that they are paying him nearly $38 million to play for the Steelers this season.
Because of the money the Broncos still owed him, Wilson was willing to sign for the league minimum to play in Pittsburgh. But other than the cheap contract, it was hard for many pundits to understand why the Steelers were interested in Wilson.
The veteran quarterback, though, has played well, particularly in important moments, in three games for the Steelers. Although he’s only completed 58.8% of his passes, Wilson is averaging 8.7 yards per attempt.
The highest yards per pass average Wilson has ever recorded in a season is 8.3.
Wilson, who will turn 36 on November 29, also has 6 touchdowns and only 1 interception.
What Wilson’s Next Contract Could Look Like for Steelers
Wilson and the Steelers may not be thinking about the 2025 season right now. But eventually, both parties will have to consider what the future holds.
For the Steelers, things could be complicated.
Backup quarterback Justin Fields led the team to a 4-2 record in the first six weeks. He’s only 25, so the Steelers could view him as their long-term answer behind center.
But Wilson and Fields are both free agents this offseason. It might not be possible to sign both.
If signing Wilson and Fields isn’t on the table, the Steelers will obviously have to choose between the two. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo predicted on 97.1 The Fan’s “Rothman & Ice” radio show that it will be Wilson “as long as” he “continues to play” at his current level.
“I guess the model is probably like the Baker Mayfield contract,” Fittipaldo added. “Three years, $100 million, [$40 million] guaranteed. I think that would take Russ right up until about [age] 39 or 40.”
If Wilson keeps leading the Steelers to victories, few will find issue with that price tag. But it’s pretty evident that Wilson isn’t going to talk about it until after the season.
