A few new members of the Steelers will have opportunities to enact their revenge on their former teams this season.
The most notable among those is quarterback Russell Wilson, who will make his return to Denver in Week 2 after spending the past two years with the Broncos.
It is a much-anticipated matchup because Denver is willing to take 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 doesn't think it will live up to the hype.
"What does a revenge game mean? A revenge game means, 'I'm trying to get back at a team,' Clark said on his "This Is Football" podcast. "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 two-year stint with the Broncos was disappointing but he seems to be getting overcriticized. He wasn't bad by any means last season, passing for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
That would be a massive upgrade for the Steelers, who saw quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky combine for just 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year.
Still, Denver feels it is worth paying Wilson $37.79 million to not play for it this season. That says enough about how the team feels about him and why Clark doesn't think Wilson be able to revitalize his career in Pittsburgh.
"He was objectively bad enough to say, 'We don't want you to be as part of our future,'" Clark added.
Wilson does seem to be set up for success in Pittsburgh as several players have already been giving new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense rave reviews.
However, only time will tell if Wilson will be able to get his revenge. The Steelers are surely hoping he gets off to a fast start since the game will be played in front of a national audience (4:25 p.m. ET) in Week 2.
