Matt Calkins: Russell Wilson has returned as a respectable QB. Is Seattle rooting for him?

SEATTLE — We’re in the third act of the redemption arc, and the lead has reemerged as the protagonist. The fallen hero has endured his penance and recovered both skill and sympathy.

Russell Wilson isn’t just playing better than he was the previous couple of years in Denver — he is looking like his old Seattle self. And his team isn’t just floating above .500 hoping to sneak into the playoffs — it is a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

I’ll get the occasional email from readers telling me that Wilson left this town years ago and is no longer part of the Seattle sports story. The online readership numbers behind any story mentioning his name, however, suggest he may still be the most prominent athlete on local sports fans’ minds.

Who knows if he’ll continue the run he is having? It has been only three games, and reality has a nasty habit of spoiling Hallmark Channel sports stories.

But it appears that No. 3 is back and close to as good as ever. And I think Seattle is here for it.

Here are Wilson’s numbers since he was injected into the Steelers’ starting lineup three games ago: He is 50-of-85 passing for 737 yards — good for 245.7 yards per game. His 8.7 yards per attempt are the highest of his career, and he has thrown six touchdowns against one interception. His passer rating of 105.9, meanwhile, is third in the NFL (yes, the miniature sample size is noted).

Granted, he is still getting sacked — he’s taken eight of them — but it isn’t at an astronomical level. The most important thing? Pittsburgh is 3-0 with him as the starter and 7-2 overall.

Perhaps there were some questions regarding the quality of those wins at first. A lot of teams have defeated the Jets (3-7) and the Giants (2-8) — the teams Wilson toppled in his first two starts. But he was able to put up 37 points in his first game and 26 in the next. And neither the Jets nor Giants are at the bottom of the league’s team defense stats.

But then came Sunday’s 28-27 win over Washington (7-3). Then came a victory over a team that has outscored opponents by 73 points this season and has the best rookie in the NFL behind center. Then came a day in which Wilson engineered a vintage game-winning drive capped by a 32-yard touchdown pass on third and nine with 2:22 left that put the Steelers up by one.

It may not have been the most accurate day for Russell, who completed just 14 of his 28 attempts. But he also had three TD throws and a slew of third-down completions. In Denver, where Wilson had one awful year and one decent one, Wilson was the only man for the job. In Pittsburgh, where QB Justin Fields went 4-2 to start the season, Wilson is the right man for the job.

The AFC is stuffed with contenders from the Chiefs to the Bills to the Ravens (Pittsburgh’s opponent Sunday). The path to the Super Bowl is far more of a minefield than it is in the NFC. Pittsburgh is right there, though, and a seemingly rejuvenated Wilson is a key reason.

And my suspicion is the city of Seattle is OK with that.

Few can blame fans for booing Wilson in his return to Lumen Field in September 2022, which was just months removed from him forcing his way out of town. Despite the Lombardi Trophy Wilson helped gift the Emerald City, his departure betrayed a sense of entitlement and lack of gratitude for what the Seahawks had done for him as an organization.

The 12s smelled a phony. So they let him have it — as did the media after an array of incidents (airplane high-knees, anyone?) that sullied Russell’s reputation. But the man didn’t do anything unforgivable. He didn’t deride a fan base. He didn’t commit a crime. He also never seemed to change his disposition, ostensibly letting the public scorn roll right off him.

Now he seems to have returned to form after two regrettable years in Denver. Who doesn’t love a comeback story? Especially when it involves the man who might (emphasis on might) be the best player in Seahawks history.

Wilson’s arc has some similarities to that of Kurt Warner. No, he didn’t go undrafted, but he was a third-round pick who rose to instant prominence. And now, like Warner did, he seems to be resurrecting his career with a third team and perhaps sealing his future Hall of Fame induction.

But what do I know? Maybe this is just a three-game fluke that gets torpedoed by a series of sacks and interceptions that humble the Steelers and their quarterback. I don’t think that’s going to be the case, though.

Wilson has returned as a respectable quarterback. If he continues at this pace, he may return as a revered one. Good for him. He earned all the criticism, but he’s earning his kudos as well.

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