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Russell Wilson is 35 years old, about to play for his third different team in four years. Still, the quarterback is both confident and refreshed ahead of his Pittsburgh Steelers debut, telling reporters at minicamp he feels “revived.”

“I feel the fountain of youth, man,” Wilson said, months after his release from the Denver Broncos. “I just feel revived in every way — mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I feel confident. I think at some point you got to know who you are — as a player, as a man, as a competitor. … I felt really good last year playing. I felt really confident, in the midst of everything. I think right now, I have all that confidence, times 10.”

Russell Wilson

Wilson’s comments come a week after he teased a similar sentiment on social media: “35 feeling like 25!” he posted on X, during the Steelers’ organized team activities.

It’s not hard to see why the former Seattle Seahawks star is conveying renewed confidence. Wilson was frequently under the microscope in Denver, where he signed a lucrative contract following an orchestrated trade out of Seattle, and later lost the support of new coach Sean Payton. In Pittsburgh, meanwhile, he’s repeatedly drawn public votes of confidence from coach Mike Tomlin and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who’ve insisted the former Super Bowl champion is in “pole position” of the Steelers’ competition for the top quarterback job.

All signs currently point to Wilson opening 2024 atop Pittsburgh’s depth chart, ahead of fellow newcomer Justin Fields.