Veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward recently criticized Pittsburgh Steelers fans for booing quarterback Russell Wilson as Wilson and the offense struggled in the first half of what became last Sunday’s 37-15 home victory over the New York Jets.

During the latest edition of his “Simms Complete” podcast, Super Bowl MVP and current analyst Phil Simms shared what he noticed about Wilson’s performance during the 35-year-old’s official debut as a quarterback. at the Steelers.

“Early in the game, I felt bad for Russell,” said Simms, per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. “You get a little bit of nerves when you start games, but that was a lot of nerves. He was nervous.”

While Wilson is a veteran who owns a championship ring and has played in two Super Bowl games, it’s understandable that he might have been more impatient than normal as he works to shake off the rust built up in the early six weeks into the season when he was sidelined. due to a persistent calf injury. After all, there are no secret pockets of Pittsburgh fans, and some national media figures felt that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin should stick with Justin Fields over Wilson after Fields led the club to a 4-2 record.

Tomlin, on the other hand, went with his gutand Simms noted that Wilson finally “overcame” whatever he suffered in the first half after New York’s Aaron Rodgers threw a bad interception when the Jets had a 15-6 lead with 1:15 left in the second quarter. in total, Wilson finished 16 of 29 passing for 264 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the Jets. He also added a rushing score while seemingly cementing himself as Pittsburgh’s QB1 moving forward.

Wilson and Steelers 5-2 Next hosts the 2-5 New York Giants this coming Monday night. As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings sports betting listed Pittsburgh as a six-point favorite for that game even although Big Blue was better on the road than at home this fall.

It will be interesting to see if Wilson looks more comfortable in the lineup as he starts a game that most outsiders expect will end in a Steelers win. If he doesn’t, it could leave the door open for Fields to get the sman meaningful snapshots in front of a prime-time television audience.