Russell Wilson sends strong message to Steelers’ rivals with off-field decision

The Pittsburgh Steelers are revamped and ready to make a deep push to the Super Bowl this season. Mike Tomlin had just landed a new contract, which means they have a long-term plan to keep this team in contention. They have a veteran quarterback paving the way for Russell Wilson while Justin Fields prepares to take over when the former’s twilight years are over. They both have different ways of improving throughout the season, but the older signal-caller is proving he can still be more physical than ever. This is even after his mediocre season with the Denver Broncos.

Russell Wilson currently trains his conditioning with Freddy Roach. The older Steelers quarterback uses boxing as a way to build endurance and strength before entering training camps with Mike Tomlin. He even described the experience he had with veteran fight coach and a key member of his team, Marvin Somodio.

Wilson enjoyed boxing and martial arts when he was younger, but he excelled most in football. He ended up succeeding in making his two passions coexist. This all lasted until 2020, when the global pandemic hit and he had to put his boxing training on hold. Four years later, he is finally back and able to release his emotions on the canvas.

Hopefully, Tomlin and the Steelers coaching staff will also benefit from this increased physicality in his routine. If they aim to synchronize the playstyles of Wilson and Justin Fields, the pass rush will be essential to their playmaking decisions. His ability to absorb punches can be akin to dealing with tough hits from opposing defensive linemen. The ability to dodge body shots will also come in handy when avoiding the secondary when a run of his own is needed. Overall, this training will only make him better over time.

Looking back at Russell Wilson’s season before joining the Steelers

The run with the Broncos ultimately ended in failure. This was after Sean Payton opted to leave Wilson out for the latter parts of their campaign. But Wilson was certainly doing his best. It’s just that the wins and numbers weren’t adding up, which is why parting ways was the best idea.

Wilson only managed to produce 3,070 passing yards for the 2023 season. That was the lowest of his entire career. To put that in perspective, only his 2021 season and rookie campaign had him pass for less than 3,200 yards. Even those numbers were better than what he had before joining the Steelers.

However, hope is not at all lost. Wilson still managed to lead the Broncos to 26 touchdowns. Additionally, his completion percentage also stood at 66.4%, meaning efficiency wasn’t the issue. The way he handled the ball after snaps wasn’t too bad either. Opposing defenses only forced eight interceptions despite the Broncos’ scattered offense.

There is a lot of optimism that Tomlin and Fields will help Wilson return to Pro Bowl form. Let’s hope this goes well.