Steelers' Russell Wilson Feeling Gratified: "I Feel The Fountain Of Youth"

The Pittsburgh Steelers' newest quarterback, Russell Wilson, has been quite open about his enthusiasm surrounding joining the team. He has been very busy since signing his contract, attending Pittsburgh Pirates games, charity events, concerts and more.

Wilson has also been busy getting to know his teammates, participating in Organized Team Activities (OTAs), and preparing to lead this team. In turn, his teammates expressed much excitement over having him with the franchise. 

After a few rocky seasons with the Denver Broncos, the former Super Bowl winner is ready to redeem himself. The Steelers are also ready to get back to the glory days of being real championship contenders. In a video shared on ESPN's Brooke Pryor's X page, Wilson gushed about how good he feels to the media. 

"I feel the fountain of youth. I feel revived in every way - mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I feel confident. I think that at some point, you have to know who you are as a player, as a man, as a competitor, and as somebody who's fortunate enough to play in this game. I don't doubt it. I trust it. I felt good last year playing; I felt really confident in the midst of everything. So right now, I have all that confidence times 10."

Wilson is on a one-year deal with the Steelers and hopes to use this year to springboard the next phase of his career. Despite how things went in Denver, he has been quite open about him not being ready to retire. 

The Broncos became so disillusioned with Wilson, whom they brought in to help save the franchise, that they benched him for Jarrett Stidham. In addition, they paid out the $85 million they owed for 2024 to make him go away. 

Wilson went on to say that there is no substitute for hard work, and he knows it. He told reporters he loves that part of the game and is there to put in 100%.

Steelers' Justin Fields Is Trying To Take Russell Wilson's Job

Wilson wasn't the only quarterback the Steelers brought on board in the offseason. They also acquired Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears. Fields and the Bears had a similar disillusionment to the one Wilson experienced in Denver. Fields, highly touted for his freaky athletic abilities and speed, hoped for a better situation.

Fields, like Wilson, hopes he found that in Pittsburgh. While Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been quite clear that Wilson is in "pole position" to start, he has said that Fields will have the opportunity to compete. He has also said that he hopes Fields will have the opportunity to learn from Wilson during their season together. 

While Fields stymied defenses with his twitchy feet and bursts of speed, he struggled with the passing game, throwing 40 touchdown passes, but 30 interceptions during his first three seasons.   

Fields has shared that learning from Wilson has been fantastic. He appreciates his detailed approach to everything he does. Fields called him a "great mentor" and talked about learning from him and picking his brain. 

During his time in Denver, Wilson had his own issues. He only managed to win 11 games over two seasons. His stats show a solid quarterback performance in 2023 however, as he threw 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. 

It is unclear what the plan is beyond 2024. If Wilson starts this entire season, does that make Fields a bit of a lame-duck leader? How will the team know if Fields is ready to take over next season if Wilson moves along? Or will Wilson do so well that the Steelers keep him? While the job appears to be Wilson's to lose, Fields will certainly do everything in his power to win that job for himself. 

What do you think of Wilson's video? How do you think the the quarterback battle will go down? Click to comment below. 

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