Russell Wilson set to play against Broncos in Week 2 after being named Steelers' starter

Mike Tomlin has named Russell Wilson the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback for the 2024 NFL season following Wilson’s competition with Justin Fields this summer.

Wilson is now obviously set to start in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, but the more notable development is that Pittsburgh’s schedule includes a trip to Denver in Week 2.

Wilson is now set to start against his former team when the Broncos host the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 15. That game will be regionally televised on CBS. Empower Field at Mile High has already trolled Wilson in preseason, so we can expect a “warm” welcome when the QB returns to Denver.

The Broncos acquired Wilson in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. He went 11-19 as a starter in Denver before being benched by coach Sean Payton with two games remaining in the 2023 season. Payton then released Wilson this spring, a move that created the largest dead money salary cap hit in NFL history.

“We felt it was in the best interests of our team,” Payton said in March. After that, Denver acquired Zach Wilson in a trade with the New York Jets and used a first-round pick to select Bo Nix during the NFL draft in April.

It’s now shaping up to be Nix vs. Wilson in Week 2.