Since entering the league, Russell Wilson has been an excellent quarterback. While he obviously makes a big impact on the field, he’s made his presence felt in the community as well. That was on display during Tuesday night’s episode of Hard Knocks.
Part of the segment focusing on Wilson and the Steelers showed the unveiling of his and his wife’s Ciara first “Why Not You” center in Pittsburgh as part of his foundation. One created in an effort to provide children’s education and health services, as well as fight poverty.
In the clip, Wilson is talking to one of the kids at the foundation. The child asked Wilson, “Do you like the Steelers?”
“Yeah I love them. It’s awesome,” Wilson said.
When the child asked if he would re-sign with Pittsburgh, Wilson responded.
“Hopefully, I love it here, it’s cool. Hopefully we get to win a Super Bowl.”
Of course, speaking to a room full of children, Wilson wasn’t exactly going to crush anyone’s dreams by saying “no, I’m leaving.” But everything has pointed towards his comment being sincere and a desire to remain with Pittsburgh. Soon after he signed, it was reported that the two sides would ‘intend to do a longer deal‘ at the end of the year. And of course, the Hard Knocks crew determined Russell Wilson’s comments were an important enough line to include in Tuesday night’s episode.
If he didn’t perform well in 2024, that conversation probably doesn’t happen. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, Wilson has been good. They’ve stumbled twice, with two tough losses to the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles with Wilson at the helm. Still, Pittsburgh’s won six of eight games under Wilson, and they’re poised to win their first playoff game in eight years.
Meshing with Mike Tomlin and presumably not wanting to start anew with his third team in three years, it makes sense for Wilson to want to remain in Pittsburgh. If he keeps playing well, the Steelers’ feeling will be mutual. Determining details of his contract could be tricky and his market value is unclear, is he worth $30 or $40 million, but if both sides have a will, they’ll find a way.
From his opening Steelers’ press conference to a mid-season ESPN interview, Wilson has stated a desire to play 5-7 more seasons, putting him into his early-mid 40s. How many of those are with the Steelers remains up in the air. For now, he’s performing well in Pittsburgh, and is clearly making himself at home.
