Just days after officially earning the starting job in Pittsburgh, Russell Wilson has been named a Steelers captain for his first season with the franchise.
Wilson was selected as one of four captains for the Steelers this season on Monday, along with Miles Killebrew, Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt. The Steelers typically elect their starting quarterback as one of the team captains each season. Both Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky were captains in recent years when they held the starting job, and Ben Roethlisberger was a captain for nearly every season he played under Tomlin.
“He’s a strong leader, and he brings veteran experience,” Killebrew said of Wilson, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “He’s been doing it at a high level for a long time, and I think with that experience [he] kind of calms nerves, and he can lead guys through various situations because he’s seen it. He’s seen a lot, so a calming presence I would say.”
Wilson signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal to join the Steelers earlier this offseason. The 35-year-old spent the last two years with the Denver Broncos, where he was also a team captain, before they released him in March. Wilson threw for 3,070 yards and had 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions with the Broncos last season, though they went just 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the eighth straight season.
Wilson signed his deal with the Steelers just one day after the team dealt for former Chicago Bears starter Justin Fields. The two quarterbacks were engaged in a battle for the starting job all throughout camp, but Wilson was officially named the team’s starter on Wednesday.
“Russ’ resume is a unique one in terms of lift and success, and that tends to play a factor in the decision-making, but not from a decision-maker’s perspective,” Steelers coach Tomlin said Wednesday, via ESPN. “It’s just the fruit of his labor. He’s seen a lot and done a lot, and I think it was reflected in the way he played and conducted himself.”
Wilson appeared in two preseason games briefly for the Steelers. He went 10-of-12 for 73 yards, and didn’t throw a touchdown. Fields appeared in three games.
Wilson will officially make his debut with the Steelers on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers went 10-7 last season and made the playoffs, but they were eliminated in the wild card round for the third time in the last four years.
