The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the NFL's postseason with a dubious weight on their shoulders. The team has not won a playoff game since 2016, and has gone 0-5 in the playoffs in Mike Tomlin's last five appearances. They will face the Ravens on Saturday, as heavy underdogs, hoping to avoid making it 0-6.
Theirs, according to The Athletic, is one of the top 10 longest playoff droughts in the NFL.
As Tomlin said this week, "(The drought) is my story. It's not this collective's story. Many of these guys involved do not tote those bags. I happily tote those bags, but it's not something that I would project on the collective."
To change that, Tomlin has turned to 36-year-old quarterback Russell Wilson, a Super Bowl champ with the Seahawks whose career has gone sideways in recent years. What had been a successful reclamation year in Pittsburgh has now also gone haywire, with the Steelers closing the year on a four-game losing streak.
Much is at stake for Wilson and Tomlin. While Tomlin is thinking about his long-term legacy, Wilson's concerns are more immediate. He will be a free agent this year, and would like to secure one last contract before he hits retirement.
Good news on that front--at least good news is predicted. At Spotrac, in projecting "bold" New Year's resolution for prominent players around the NFL, editor Mike Ginnitti foresees the Wilson-Steelers pairing staying place going forward, even if the team has had its struggles.
Ginnitti predicts Pittsburgh will give Wilson a three-year, $100 million contract this offseason.
He writes: "Don't leave Russ for dead just yet. The Steelers dodged more than a few bullets this season to remain relevant both in the AFC North and into the postseason. Wilson isn't statistically close to what he once was, nor is he capable of single-handedly leading an offense into contention, but he's a clear fit with this Steelers setup for the short-term.
"The 36-year-old pending free agent is likely seeking one final contract this offseason."
