Russell Wilson, who can't box due to the coronavirus pandemic, will step into the ring with a professional boxer during the offseason as the Steelers' quarterback

Russell Wilson is back in the ring, and he's packing a punch! It's no secret that many football players are drawn to martial arts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is following the same path. But this isn't just an interest in contact sports. There may be a lot more to the Super Bowl winner's training, because he's not taking it easy in the league. Instead, he has a world-class pro coach and a junior welterweight to support him during his sessions.

Not only is Wilson cutting weight by running around the track, he's also incorporating other high-intensity training into his training plan. And yes, one source of training he uses is boxing. But before we get to his recent Instagram stories and posts, hold on for a second. If you're still thinking this is Russ' first association with boxing, you'd be sorely mistaken.

Russell Wilson will be bringing his quick handling to the gridiron this season!

Russell Wilson wrote in an Instagram post: “Back in the ring. Started in 2018-2020. Had the best years ever. But then Covid hit in 2020 and I wasn't able to return. Good to see my buddies @FreddyRoach and @MarvinSomodio again #QuickFeetHeavyHands.” The quarterback's Instagram Stories and posts on his page show him doing some light training in the ring with junior welterweight contender Elvis Rodriguez's crew.

He's been training with Freddie Roach and Marvin Somodio, who also coached the likes of Manny Pacquiao. With the right support, the Steelers quarterback is focusing on stamina and getting back in shape during the preseason. Wilson is making the most of his time with the Top Rank staff.

Another post on the same carousel shows a shirtless Russell Wilson showing off his biceps with Dominican professional boxer Elvis Rodriguez. The welterweight boxer currently boasts a record of 15 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, with 13 knockout wins in his career. Rodriguez also has a promotional deal with Top Rank Boxing, a world leader in boxing promotions, making him the perfect choice to guide Wilson's training.

Given his continued practice and determination to perform well, the QB seems to be regaining his drive to succeed. As Wilson previously stated: “I feel the Fountain of Youth. I feel reborn in every way – mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I have confidence. I think at some point you have to find out who you are as a player, as a person, as a competitor. As someone who's been fortunate enough to be in this game, I don't doubt it. I believe it. I felt really good playing last year. I was really confident through it all. So I think now that confidence is tenfold.”

His current training steps and progress seem to represent the same in that he now has an experienced boxing coach at his side amidst the doubts surrounding the veteran player.

Does Russell Wilson have a job lined up after retiring from the NFL?

Russell Wilson is dating Hall of Fame boxer Freddie Roach. Roach retired from boxing after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but that didn't take away from his years of boxing experience. So he started coaching, and has since mentored countless fighters, including Pacquiao, Amir Khan, Virgil Hill, James Toney, and Mikel Cotto. Upon hearing Wilson's story, Roach pointed at him while everyone else struck up a classic boxing pose.

His story is this: “Back in the ring again. From 2018-2020 it was one of my favorite places to be. #QuickFeetHeavyHandsAccording to a report from ESPN, the Steelers quarterback first trained with Roach in 2017. Wilson said boxing was “a great opportunity for me to get into boxing.”“I'm just trying to keep improving my game by working on my balance and quickness. I'm always open to anything, so I need to be prepared for it.”

The former Broncos star spoke about how he has developed agility along with discipline: “Also, good boxers have good defense, which means they can move and escape. So that was really important for me as well. And it's a great conditioning workout, one of the toughest workouts I've ever done.”

In 2018, the quarterback admitted to using boxing as a regular workout, but the caption said that COVID-19 had prevented him from doing so. In the newly surfaced photo, Wilson's post also features John Shackleton, a sports performance trainer who has worked with athletes in the NFL, NBA and other sports leagues, as well as NCAA players.

It took Wilson a while to get back into boxing, but some of this training may help him on the football field. All eyes are on Russell Wilson to see his progress on the field.