Russell Wilson gives Steelers something else to worry about in looming contract talks

When Tom Brady first announced his intentions to play until the age of 45, many scoffed at the notion. It was something once considered to be impossible. Great passers have historically begun to see a decline at age 37, and all of them essentially fizzled out by the time they were 40 or 41 years old. 

No quarterback had ever performed well into their mid-40s, but Brady broke through the limit. He became the oldest quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl at age 43.

While star quarterbacks around him like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger all began to deteriorate before age 40, Brady was still zipping fast balls at an advanced age. At age 44, Brady led the league in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns.

Russell Wilson plans to play for much longer than expected

Now, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is planning to follow in Brady’s footsteps. In an interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, the 36-year-old stated his intentions to play for up to seven more years. 

"I definitely want to play another five to seven years," Wilson said. "I think that's always been my goal, I've been clear about that since the beginning. I think that's always been my mindset — the longevity of the game. I've been fortunate to be able to play 200-plus games and really not miss many. ... I feel great, I feel young, I feel like I can still move around out there and make all the decisions and all the throws.”

That revelation could further complicate things for upcoming contract talks with the Steelers, who have helped Wilson resuscitate his dying career this season.

Wilson was once considered to be one of the brightest, young quarterbacks in the league. He led the Seattle Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances with his ability to make plays on the run and play a backyard football style of offense. 

But then, Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos, where his career and legacy began to fall apart. After two abysmal seasons, Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh alongside quarterback Justin Fields as a reclamation project.

The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback has experienced a career resurgence in his three starts with Pittsburgh this season, but he is clearly no longer the player he once was.

The Steelers will already have a difficult time navigating free agency decisions with Wilson and Fields. Although they’d likely prefer to keep both the aging veteran and the develop talent, it’s unlikely both of them will stay.

If Wilson truly believes he can play another seven years, until age 43, there’s a possibility he could demand a contract extension that is longer than just a year or two. For Pittsburgh, that may be difficult to agree to.