PITTSBURGH – Steelers Country, let’s forge.
In his first game as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Russell Wilson led his new squad to a 37-15 victory over the New York Jets on “Sunday Night Football.’ Wilson completed 16 of 29 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns and also added a rushing touchdown as the Steelers outgained Aaron Rodgers and the Jets 409-323 to spoil Jets receiver Davante Adams’ inaugural game with his new team.
‘There’s a reason why he is where he is and why he has the resume he does,’ Steelers left guard Isaac Seumalo told USA TODAY Sports. ‘He was slinging the rock.’
Wilson looked like a quarterback who hadn’t played yet this season to start the game. Thirty-one minutes after fans showered him with applause as he was announced as the starting quarterback in the game’s opening huddle, the Steelers faithful offered hearty boos. Twice the Steelers went three-and-out in the first quarter.
“I thought (Wilson) was excellent. I thought he got better as the game went on,’ Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “But I’m not surprised by that. It’s been a while since he played some ball, but I thought he settled in, knocked the rust off, man, and distributed the ball around and played well.”
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The coach, in his 18th season with the Steelers, said he learned a lot about Wilson’s in-game demeanor and the communication style he prefers.
“It was a good experience for me,” Tomlin said.
Wilson was 8-for-17 in the first half, and 44 of his 145 yards came on a jump ball to George Pickens, who hauled in the quarterback’s first touchdown in Pittsburgh from 11 yards out with 27 seconds before halftime for the team’s first lead of the contest.
Pickens (five catches, 111 yards) said Wilson can identify and communicate when defenses are blitzing. His assertive cadence is another advantage for the offense. The Jets offered man-to-man looks on second- and third-down plays, Pickens said, and the Steelers took advantage.
Wilson entered the 2024 season as the presumptive starter – or at least with a leg-up in any competition – until he suffered a calf injury during training camp. Justin Fields started the first six games of the season, and the team went 4-2 despite lacking stellar offensive play.
“Last week it was Justin. This week it was Russ,’ Pickens said. ‘It was both 30 points, so I feel like the team overall is coming together.”
Pittsburgh scored 30 points in back-to-back contests for the first time since the 2020 season.
‘I think (if) you score that many points in Pittsburgh, that’s a good thing,’ Seumalo said.
In typical Steelers fashion, the defense provided plenty of opportunity, and the ground game found its stride thanks to Najee Harris’ 102 rushing yards on 21 attempts. Wilson’s touchdown run gave the Steelers an eight-point lead halfway through the third quarter, and his touchdown pass to Van Jefferson in the fourth put an exclamation point on his debut.
“I kept telling coach, ‘Hey, I’m going to get hot here,’’ Wilson said. ‘And sure enough we did.”
Wilson credited Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for “letting me cut it loose” and his teammates for being open. The play-calling helped Wilson find a rhythm, and Smith told the quarterback it may take a little bit to feel that way.
“Sometimes it takes that first home run,’ said Wilson, who admitted to having postseason baseball on the mind.
While sidelined, Wilson maintained a leadership role within the Steelers locker room. Right guard Mason McCormick said he appreciates watching how deliberate Wilson is with his work and how intentional the 35-year-old is in practice.
“He’s probably one of the most locked in guys I’ve ever met,” Seumalo said. “As far as playing or not playing, the process remains. He just keeps on going. He’s locked into everything and constantly working.”
Pittsburgh is paying Wilson $1.2 million for this season, as the Denver Broncos remain on the hook for a chunk of the five-year extension they gave the quarterback after acquiring him from the Seattle Seahawks via trade in March 2022.
Any perception of a season-long quarterback competition in western Pennsylvania isn’t how the Steelers (or at least Wilson) view things.
“We are in a tremendous situation where we are,’ Wilson said. ‘I think there’s a lot of outside noise that makes it seem like it’s a negative thing and this internal rivalry. And it’s not, man. We just want to win.’
Wilson lasted less than two seasons as Denver’s starter, and head coach Sean Payton had decided his tenure with the team would not be tied to Wilson’s. The Steelers were moving on from Kenny Pickett, and head coach Mike Tomlin saw an opportunity for a bargain-fueled veteran upgrade.
‘We have two really, really good quarterbacks on our roster,’ McCormick said. ‘We’re fortunate to have both these guys. Whoever’s in there, we have full confidence in them.’
This story has been updated to include new information and a new video.
