Russell Wilson is off and running with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Instead of waiting for OTAs to get started, Wilson and several of his new teammates recently worked out together in San Diego. Wilson trained and worked through routes with Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth and receivers Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson, who like Wilson was signed by Pittsburgh this offseason.
“Obviously, I’m very excited for Russ to be part of the team,” Freiermuth told Around The 412. “He’s been great at talking to guys and starting to build that connection. He’s a great guy. You can tell the drive and determination that he has to win and come to Pittsburgh and win some playoff games for us.”
Freiermuth’s assessment of Wilson echoes what defensive captain Cameron Heyward recently said of the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback. It’s clear, based on their comments, that Wilson is clearly motivated to show that he is still a top-tier player following a disappointing two-year stint with the Denver Broncos.
“You just look for the leadership for a guy that has been in Seattle and won games,” Heyward recently said on The Rich Eisen Show. “Won a Super Bowl already. Didn’t have the best time in Denver, but I think he’s a hungry guy that is ready to prove people wrong.
“We have so many great weapons. Some of them are younger. Having a more established guy who has been through it is going to benefit the group.”
Like Heyward, former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt is hoping Wilson and fellow quarterback Justin Fields can help the Steelers snap their seven-year drought without a playoff win.
“I’m excited for both of them,” Watt recently told FOX4 Kansas City. “To be able to have some big time new faces and guys who have played at a high level — especially Russ, a guy who’s won a Super Bowl — in the locker room. I’m just hoping that I can learn something from those guys and hopefully, show them how things are done in Pittsburgh as well, what we’ve been doing.
“I haven’t won a playoff game my whole career, so I’m open to any type of information, where we can continue to get better. Hopefully, those guys can help us do that.”
Along with getting a chance to work out with Wilson, Freiermuth also got a chance to work with Jefferson, who comes to Pittsburgh after helping the Rams win the Super Bowl two years ago. Freiermuth liked what he saw.
“Van’s a big dude,” Freiermuth said of Jefferson, a former second-round pick who caught six touchdowns during the Rams’ Super Bowl season. “He’s physical. … He attacks the ball. He’s going to be really good for our locker room.”