Steelers' Russell Wilson Wants to Play 5-7 More Years in NFL: 'Always Been My Goal'

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is 35 years old, but he isn't planning on retiring anytime soon.

"I definitely want to play another five to seven years," he told ESPN's Hannah Storm on Thursday (30-minute mark). "I think that's always been my goal, I've been clear about that since the beginning. I think that's always been my mindset, is the longevity of the game. I've been fortunate to be able to play 200-plus games and really not miss many. ... I feel great, I feel young, I feel like I can still move around out there and make all the decisions and all the throws."

Wilson has looked revitalized in Pittsburgh, throwing for 737 yards, six touchdowns and one interception in the three games he's started for the team since recovering from a calf injury that sidelined him to start the 2024 season. He's completed just 58.8 percent of his passes and taken eight sacks, but the Steelers are 3-0 with him under center.

Despite the controversial decision to bench Justin Fields in favor of Wilson, the move has proven to be the correct one.

"To be quite honest with you, there were myriad reasons why I had the posture that I had; his resumé being a component of it, his experience," Tomlin told reporters this week regarding the switch. "And I thought his experience could be an asset to our unit and our team. And that's played out. His talents. His appetite for big moments, and I think that's played out some. There's a myriad of reasons and I think it will be continually revealed because of the circumstances that he and we will be in. I'm excited about facing those things with him. I'm excited about him, quite frankly, getting better."

Wilson's impact has been a far cry from his struggles in two seasons with the Denver Broncos. The team was just 11-19 with him as the starter, as the veteran quarterback completed 63.3 percent of his passes, took an incredible 100 sacks and threw 43 touchdowns to 19 interceptions.

He's more closely resembled the player from the Seattle Seahawks years who was a nine-time Pro Bowler and one-time champion.

Wilson may never quite reach those highs again, but the Steelers are now 7-2 and facing a crucial AFC North matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (7-3) on Sunday. We'll find out just how legit Wilson and the Steelers are against their stiffest test yet this season.