Russell Wilson was officially introduced as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, and during his first press conference, he made it clear he wanted to be in Pittsburgh all along.

“I was fortunate to have several teams call, but this was the place I wanted to be,” Wilson said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “To be a Pittsburgh Steeler, to wear the black and gold, it’s a true honor, it’s tradition, it’s history. There’s six trophies in there. We’re coming to get a seventh.”

There were numerous teams that were rumored to be interested in Wilson. Right before he flew to Pittsburgh to meet with the Steelers last week, he took a quick meeting with the New York Giants.

However, Pittsburgh always seemed like the best option for Wilson, given that the club went 10-7 and made the playoffs this past season.

“When I had an opportunity to be a free agent, when Denver allowed me to speak with teams, it was the first time I had ever gone through that process,” Wilson said. “There were a few things that just jumped off the board about the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

Like the fact that they were actually already pretty good?

With Wilson being 35 years old, it wouldn’t have made much sense for him to play for a rebuilding team like the Giants. He needs to win now, and the Steelers clearly provided him with the best opportunity out of the available options.

“The atmosphere, walking into the stadium, the energy, the towels,” Wilson said of Acrisure Stadium. “I love this game because it’s the greatest team sport there is.”

Wilson spent the last two years with the Broncos. In 2023, he threw for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 66.4 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 98.

Now, Russell Wilson is looking to start a new, better chapter.

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