Cameron Heyward: Steelers Locker Room Gave Russell Wilson An Arrival Warning That No Savior Was Needed

The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised many when they swept their quarterback room clean during the 2024 offseason and brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Both selections were criticized for a variety of reasons. Regarding Wilson, some were concerned about his age, 35, and the fact that he underperformed when he was with the Denver Broncos. However, there were also concerns about his mentality as a teammate. 

Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton wanted to get rid of Wilson so badly that they paid him to leave. It wasn't just because Wilson wasn't the same quarterback who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. It felt personal. Payton seemed to go out of his way to be negative about Wilson. This struck many as odd, and you can't deny Wilson's success during his time in the league. 

When the Steelers began courting Wilson, several big-name Steelers players stepped up to help with the effort, including Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt. They are all veteran players who hope to get this team to a Super Bowl. If they felt that Wilson was a locker room cancer, it is hard to imagine they would want him. Heyward spoke with Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel on their podcast Scoop City and said they warned him they weren't looking for a hero. 

"We don't really care what happened before," said Heyward. "All we can worry about is what's going on. So when he got here, it was more like, be a part of the team. We don't need you to be some savior. We have a lot of good teammates; we have good leaders; we're just asking you to be a part of this. Russ has been bought in. Just trying to connect, trying to learn people, communicate. I don't think there's a day where you don't see Russ trying to work with a guy extra after practice or trying to get to know people. Russ has been trying to extend himself and just learn different people."

Wilson was frequently vilified for things other quarterbacks were praised about. When Kirk Cousins requested his own office, he was applauded for his dedication, but when Wilson did that, he was criticized for acting like he was better than his teammates. The same is true for how he involves his family in his football life; when Peyton Manning did it, he was an amazing family man. Wilson was rumored to be difficult and a diva. There was talk that he wasn't a team player and was called cancer to the locker room.

So far, Wilson has shown no signs of poor sportsmanship. While he was injured for the first six weeks of the season, reports were that he spent time mentoring Fields. He spends extra time working with the receivers after practice, so everyone gets enough reps with him. His teammates have praised him for his leadership skills, and he seems well-liked and respected. 

Steelers’ Russell Wilson Facing An Old Friend

The Steelers will head to the Nation's Capital to face the Washington Commanders for Week 10. It will be a battle between two teams performing better than nearly anyone expected at the beginning of the season. It will also be a battle against someone Wilson is very familiar with, Dan Quinn. 

Quinn is the new head coach of the Commanders, but was the defensive coordinator of the Seahawks when Wilson was their quarterback. According to Kyle Brandt from ESPN's Good Morning Football, Wilson has performed quite well since the two parted ways. He said Wilson is 3-1 against his former coach and has played virtually mistake-free games. 

Of course, now Quinn has a new, not-so-secret weapon in Jayden Daniels, and the Steelers will need to step up on both sides of the ball if they hope to defeat the 7-2 Commanders. 

Are you surprised by how well Wilson has integrated into the team? Click to comment below. 

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