This day, September 15th, has likely been circled on Russell Wilson’s calendar since the schedule was released in May. He’s not one to say these kinds of things publicly, but you can bet he wanted to prove to the Denver Broncos that they made the wrong decision by letting him go after the 2023 season.

Not only did they get rid of him, they’re paying him nearly $40 million. not to play for them.

Unfortunately, Wilson’s calf injury kept him out of the potential revenge game, but Justin Fields was able to cover the Broncos on his behalf. He was asked if he would take the win for Wilson during his media availability posted on the Steelers’ YouTube page.

“Yeah, I mean, I think we all know Russ got a little dirty last year,” Fields said. “I know he wished he could have played in this game today, but it’s great that he got the win for him. He got a petty game ball, so it’s great that he gets a dub for Russ.”

Wilson’s two-year stint with the Broncos was undoubtedly a disaster, but he’s actually been pretty good in 2023. He’s 7-8 in his 15 starts, but that included five straight wins against the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns. He’s knocked out four playoff teams during that span.

It was in the middle of that winning streak that Wilson was asked to either restate his contract or be benched. The Broncos ultimately benched him for the final two games, marking the beginning of the end of his tenure in Denver.

That was after a 66.4 completion percentage, 3,070 passing yards and 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. It wasn’t the kind of performance you’d expect from a quarterback who’s getting that much guaranteed money, but it’s also far from the kind of performance that justifies what happened to him in Denver.

It was Denver’s decision that allowed the Steelers to sign Wilson for just $1.21 million, with the Broncos footing the rest of the bill. Even with Wilson not playing today, it must feel good to be on a 2-0 team while his former team is 0-2.