Russell Wilson will be a key player in the Christmas Day game when the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season in what promises to be a high-intensity matchup. Andy Reid‘s team has already secured the AFC West and will rely on star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to lead them to victory next Wednesday.

Although the Steelers have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, this game is an important opportunity to prove once again that Pittsburgh is a Super Bowl contender. Trying to dethrone the Chiefs is no easy task, as Andy Reid‘s team has only lost to the Buffalo Bills this season.

It is also a special opportunity for Wilson to prove that at 36 years of age he is still the same player who won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. In the quarterback duel, he will face a solid Mahomes who is already thinking about the postseason. In this context, the Pittsburgh star has sent out a warning to his rivals.

Russell Wilson’s warning to Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs

“We are ready for our best game, we have to do it. Our opponents don’t give up much, they do a very good job. They’re one of the best defenses in the league,” Wilson warned in a press conference, making it clear that this is one of the last chances for the Steelers to prove they are ready for big things.

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo warns about Russell Wilson

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has worked alongside Andy Reid for years and knows Russell Wilson well, someone he has faced on more than one occasion. “We know what he’s been about, he tries to make big plays. He loves to throw the deep ball. He’s got guys and he’s got a lot of confidence in them to go up and catch it,” Spagnuolo warned via Chiefs Wire about Russell Wilson.

When was the last time the Chiefs and the Steelers faced off?

The Christmas Day game won’t be the first time Mahomes has faced the Steelers. The Chiefs defeated Pittsburgh the last time the two franchises met in 2022, when Kansas City earned a 42-21 victory in the AFC Wild-Card game. Wilson was not the quarterback for Mike Tomlin’s team at the time.

Although the latest record is favorable for Mahomes’ Chiefs, the previous few years tell a different story. In the all-time record, the Steelers have won 23 of the 37 times they have faced Chiefs. With that in mind, it is safe to say that this will be a high-stakes game, just as the previous hours were marked by crossed warnings.