Former NFL quarterback turned analyst Ryan Leaf is bullish on the Steelers with Russell Wilson at quarterback.
And as the Steelers kicked off OTAs, Tuesday, Leaf said there’s no reason to think Pittsburgh can’t compete for the AFC North Division title and maybe make a run in the playoffs.
“Watch out for the Steelers,” Leaf said on FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams show. “I think Russ has still every bit of being a Super Bowl champion quarterback in him. Nobody else does. I think he’s going to shock a lot of people with Arthur Smith and what they do with that offense.”
Then Leaf said that the Steelers “definitely” can win the North.
“They were right there a year ago. But that division is so darn good.”
That’s an understatement.
Pittsburgh needs a quality quarterback just to tread water in the North. After all, the Ravens feature NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The Bengals will be back in the race now that Joe Burrow’s surgically-repaired wrist is back in shape. The Browns made the playoffs last year despite losing quarterback Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Watson is back from injury.
The Steelers made the playoffs with a salty defense and a stout rushing game. In the off season, Pittsburgh signed Wilson and traded for Justin Fields. They then cleared the QB depth chart from a year ago, trading Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. The Steelers declined to re-sign Mason Rudolph, who went to the Titans, and Mitch Trubisky, who now is with the Bills. They’ve since added Kyle Allen and rookie John Rhys Plumlee.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Wilson will be in the “pole position” to win the starting job. As Leaf noted, he is a Super Bowl winning quarterback. But that was a decade ago. Wilson pushed for a trade to the Broncos in 2022. And he looked like anything but a quarterback capable of winning it all for the past two seasons. He and the Broncos then parted ways, leaving the Steelers as the best option for the 35-year-old to revive his career.
The Steelers likely will find ways to use Fields, who started his first three seasons with the Bears. He’s a significant dual threat, talents that can expand an offensive playbook.
Leaf has been a cheerleader for Wilson for weeks. It should be noted that he is a life-long Steelers fan and brings an interesting passion to the discussion.
He predicted good things for Wilson in Pittsburgh back in March. In an interview with Sirius/XM NFL, Leaf said the Steelers might be “in the best possible place you can be to make a real run this year.
“With the defense that they have, a veteran, Super Bowl quarterback in an Arthur Smith offense,” Leaf mused. “I mean, I loved this possibility when I heard about it. As a Steelers fan, I loved it even more. … I think if you’re a Steelers fan out there, you immediately become a team that’s in contention for a Super Bowl bid.”
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