Russell Wilson: Steelers Contract, Playing for Mike Tomlin '1 of the Greatest Gifts'

Russell Wilson may be playing on a one-year contract with Justin Fields in his rearview mirror, but he's thrilled to be playing for Mike Tomlin's Pittsburgh Steelers.

"To play 13 years in the NFL has been a dream come true. To be able to play for Mike Tomlin; to stand side by side with him and try to accomplish all the goals that I want to accomplish with the Steelers organization, and what that represents for the NFL, is one of the greatest gifts in the world," Wilson told Okla Jones of Essence.

The Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year, $1.2 million contract last month after he was released by the Denver Broncos. Denver is paying Wilson around $38 million this season.

A future Hall of Famer with nine Pro Bowl selections, Wilson's two-year stint with the Broncos was nothing short of a disaster. The Broncos went 11-19 in his 30 starts as Wilson regressed from one of the best quarterbacks in football to one of the sport's most criticized. His first year with the Broncos was by far the worst season of his career, and while he rebounded with a 3,070-yard, 26-touchdown campaign last year, it was nowhere close to his previous performance level.

The Steelers have been desperately searching for an answer at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement after the 2021 season. Kenny Pickett, their 2022 first-round pick, was a bust and was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph have also started games over the last two seasons to not much more success.

Pittsburgh didn't just rest on signing Wilson, sending a conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields. The Ohio State product is one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the NFL, with some believing he still has star potential and others calling him a bust.

The Bears are planning to take USC's Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in April's draft, which ended their attempt to mold Fields into a Pro Bowler.

Tomlin has built a reputation with being able to extract the maximum possible performance from his team. He's never had a losing season in 17 years as Steelers head coach, an impressive stretch made even more so in recent years when he's been able to coax winning football out of weak rosters.