When a player shows you what he can do, believe it. At least, that's what the great Bill Parcells used to preach about his players. Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi quoted it today when talking about Russell Wilson's career trajectory and his potential success with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson's struggles have been well-documented over the past few seasons — his two-year stint with the Denver Broncos certainly didn't go well, but even his final season with Seattle fell short of the high standards he set for himself.
“The starters are going to be the guys who can protect the ball the best,” Lombardi said of Wilson and Justin Fields via the Jim Rome Show in a video posted to X. “Mike (Tomlin) is a believer in complementary football, so it's the guys who can protect the ball. Those three things are going to win games.”
“…As for Russell, I think Russell is trending in the wrong direction. If you look back at when he was in Seattle, he wasn't a very good runner, he wasn't moving in the pocket. And if you watch Russell play today, he's not moving vertically in the pocket. He's trying to go left or right. And when he does that, great plays used to happen. Not now.”
Wilson proved himself to be a premier quarterback during his first decade in the league, finishing comfortably in the top five in the league during his prime years and leading his team to two Super Bowl appearances and one victory.
Wilson struggled in Denver, winning just 11 games in 30 games and, understandably, coach Nathaniel Hackett didn't have a good time, and then had to learn a new offense with Sean Payton that probably didn't mesh well with Wilson's style of play.
During his prime, the Seahawks featured a strong running game and solid defense, and fortunately, he should have that again now in Pittsburgh.
Lombardi's ball-protection arguments are a clear advantage for Russell Wilson. Over the past two seasons, Wilson has 19 interceptions and 16 fumbles. In that same span, Fields has 33 interceptions and 26 fumbles in two fewer starts than Wilson, meaning Fields has 2.1 turnovers per game compared to Wilson's 1.2.
Wilson is certainly feeling the pressure. At 35, he's trying to revive a near-Hall of Fame career and fend off talented quarterbacks 10 years his junior. All signs point to Wilson being named the starter in Week 1. Any predictions beyond that are at your discretion.
Another tough season for Wilson could provide more data to back up what Lombardi is saying, but I'm not sure I'm ready to label him a down arrow just yet.
