It may not be a Hallmark movie, but Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers' surprising start has been one of the feel-good stories of the 2024 season so far (unless you're a fan of Pittsburgh's AFC North division rivals, however).
Wilson, 36, has found the fountain of youth and has played an integral role in the Steelers' 9-3 start entering Sunday's divisional showdown with the Cleveland Browns. Wilson, who is currently 5-1 as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback, won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. He feels that the 2024 Steelers have the right pieces in place to win the Lombardi Trophy this season.
"I think first of all, we got the guys that do it," Wilson said during a one-on-one interview with former Steelers coach and current The NFL Today analyst Bill Cowher. "We've got the right mentality, the right leadership, the right head coach. There's nobody better. We've got the world's best kicker, that always helps. And I think all of that with this organization is special. I think everything's possible."
Wilson, who currently leads the NFL in average yards per attempt, went through the past three seasons with Cowher, including his up-and-down, two-year tenure with the Broncos, who released Wilson this offseason. He acknowledged that his experience in Denver has served as extra motivation for him to succeed in Pittsburgh.
"My first year in Denver I was hurt and playing through it, and I really was just fighting through it," Wilson. "And last year, I felt like myself again. This year, though, we're brand new, and I think a lot of it is the guys that I'm around. I also have something to prove every day. When I wake up and my feet hit the ground, I'm ready to go. And there's a mission here. And we're we're all seeking number seven."
Wilson was alluding to the Steelers' Super Bowl tally, which has stood at six since Ben Roethlisberger hit Santonio Holmes for the game-winning score in Super Bowl XLIII. Cowher coached Pittsburgh to a record-tying fifth Super Bowl win at the end of the 2005 season. He wants Wilson to add his name to Steelers championship lore now.
"Go get No. 7," Cowher told Wilson, who by doing so would join Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the only starting quarterbacks in history to lead multiple franchises to Super Bowl wins.