Russell Wilson says he hopes to play again for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2024 season ended with a Saturday night wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers organization, man. It’s been such a blessing to be here,” Wilson said in his postgame interview following the 28-14 loss. “The guys that we have, the organization, it’s truly first class. We love the city, obviously, and what it means, not just to me and Ciara and our family, but just also the National Football League.
“It’s a special place, with special guys. We’ve got a special coach in Coach Tomlin. We’ve got a special organization, special people, special players, special fanbase. It’s been truly a blessing in my life. It’s been one of the best years for me, personally, to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.”
Wilson continued: “Obviously, I hope I’m here, and everything else. I trust God, whatever that is.”
Wilson threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday night as the Steelers suffered their sixth straight playoff loss under Tomlin.
The Pittsburgh offense went 5-for-11 on third down attempts, while the defense struggled to contain Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ run game.
The Steelers went into the halftime break staring down a 21-point deficit, and never got any closer than 14 points before conceding the loss.
“I think that any time that you’re seeking something that we’re seeking, to win another Super Bowl here and everything else, there’s always highs and lows,” Wilson said. “I think that, more importantly, I believe in the guys that we have.”
Wilson continued: “The best part about the game was, the guys didn’t give up. I think that’s, in the National Football League, sometimes guys check out. And they didn’t. We didn’t. We gave it our all, we continued to fight, continued to swing. That’s why I love the guys on this team.”
The Steelers roster is set for some significant change this offseason, especially given the team’s late-season collapse. A club that was competing for the AFC North title at the beginning of December has not held a lead in any game since a Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8.
Wilson is now one of more than a dozen free agents, including quarterback Justin Fields, the Steelers could be parting ways with this offseason.
Wilson signed a one-year veteran minimum deal to join the Steelers for the 2024 campaign while he was still getting paid by the Denver Broncos.
His next contract will look different now that the Broncos are set to stop paying him ahead of the 2025 season. The Steelers will need to consider whatever raise Wilson is seeking when determining whether to re-sign him this offseason.