Several new Pittsburgh Steelers players, including quarterback Russell Wilson, have opportunities to seek revenge against their former teams this season. Wilson’s return to Denver in Week 2, after spending the last two years with the Broncos, is highly anticipated. Denver is willing to absorb a $53 million cap hit in 2024 and a $32 million cap hit in 2025 to part ways with Wilson. However, ESPN analyst Kevin Clark doubts the matchup will live up to the hype.
On his “This Is Football” podcast, Clark said, “What does a revenge game mean? It means trying to get back at a team. This is not Randy Moss playing against the Cowboys and saying, ‘I’m gonna get 900 yards every time we play.’ Russell Wilson is not capable of revenge.”
Wilson’s tenure with the Broncos was underwhelming, though he wasn’t terrible last season. He passed for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, numbers that would be a significant improvement for the Steelers. Last year, Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitchell Trubisky combined for just 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Despite this, Denver is paying Wilson $37.79 million to not play for them this season, indicating their dissatisfaction. Clark added, “He was objectively bad enough for them to say, ‘We don’t want you as part of our future.'”
In Pittsburgh, Wilson seems positioned for success with the new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense receiving positive feedback from players. Yet, only time will tell if Wilson can truly achieve revenge. The Steelers are hopeful for a strong start from Wilson, especially with the Week 2 game against Denver being nationally televised at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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