Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has given his first impressions of new teammate Russell Wilson, praising the quarterback's drive and determination. Speaking on the Around the 412 podcast, Freiermuth revealed he had recently been in California training with Wilson, running routes and working out together.
"I was just down there in San Diego with him working out and throwing routes," Freiermuth said. "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."
Wilson joined the Steelers on a one-year deal reportedly worth the veteran's minimum of $1.21 million after being unexpectedly released by the Denver Broncos on March 13.
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The Broncos had benched Wilson for the final two games of the season, citing the need to "preserve financial flexibility," which ultimately led to his release.
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Earlier in the season, Denver reportedly warned Wilson that he would be benched if he refused to defer his $37 million injury guarantee. Following his release, the Broncos took a massive dead cap hit of $85 million.
This comes after Wilson's September 2022 agreement to a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the team, which is why Pittsburgh was able to snag such a bargain.
Pat Freiermuth praised Wilson for his leadership (Getty)At his first press conference as a Steeler, Wilson revealed he had an in-depth chat with defensive end Cameron Heyward before deciding to join Pittsburgh. Heyward, a 13-year NFL veteran and key team figure, shared his enthusiasm about Wilson joining the squad, highlighting his experience and leadership skills as major assets for the Steelers.
"You just look for the leadership he's had," Heyward remarked. "A guy who's been in Seattle, who's won games, won the Super Bowl already. Didn't have the best time in Denver, but I think he's a hungry guy who's ready to prove a lot of people wrong. I think on the opposite side of the ball, we have so many great weapons. Some of them are younger so having a more established guy who has been through it is gonna benefit the group."
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has given his quarterback a vote of confidence, confirming Wilson as the starter for the team in the upcoming season. This comes after the Steelers traded for Justin Fields, swapping him for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick that could potentially escalate to a fourth-round selection based on Fields' playing time, with the Chicago Bears.
In the 2023 season, Wilson achieved a passer rating of 98, throwing for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions over 15 games. His impressive career highlights include winning a Super Bowl championship [XLVIII], receiving the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2020, earning Second-team All-Pro honours in 2019, and being selected for the Pro Bowl nine times from 2012 to 2021.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story
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