The Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason, but haven’t fully committed to him. How does legendary running back Jerome Bettis feel about the passer?
The Pittsburgh Steelers cut the Kenny Pickett era short, trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles well before his rookie contract expired.
Now, they’ll turn to Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center, two buy-low options who have taken wildly different paths to the same point – playing with something to prove.
Wilson, as the veteran and likely the better win-now option, is far and away the favorite to start Week 1. Some are buying into the reclamation project that is his reascension, others feel Pittsburgh has turned itself into quarterback purgatory.
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Former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis finds himself among the former.
He joined “The Joe Starkey Show,” to talk about the state of affairs in Pittsburgh.
“He can play 100 percent. And he will be effective in this offense,” Bettis said. “He’s going to be good for this offense.”
Wilson is coming off of two suboptimal years with the Denver Broncos, a tenure that saw two head coaches and minimal regular season success. He went 11-19 in Denver, throwing for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. His 100 sacks in two seasons cut drives short and consistently put the Broncos behind the sticks.
His marriage with head coach Sean Payton went south so quickly that he was released before ever playing a down on a five-year, $245 million contract.
And yet, there’s enough of a track record and talent to entrust him with a playoff-ready roster. Despite his struggles few expect him to perform as poorly as Pickett has, and that in itself may be enough to win Pittsburgh a playoff game.
“If that’s the case, then Russell Wilson’s the guy, and trust me, he’s gonna be special,” Bettis said. “I really believe he has all the talent and the know-how, the s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set to be big time and this offense can allow him to do that. And it’s not gonna ask him to do a whole (lot) because you’re gonna be able to run the football.”
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The Steelers’ improvements up front should make life easier for Wilson, by virtue of both the ground game and better pass protection. With a more stable supporting cast and less pressure to be the guy, the Pittsburgh faithful may have found the right ingredients for a bounce-back season.
