Afternoon Notes

Wilson was on his cellphone, talking with a buddy, when he got word that the three-time Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowler was ready to sign a five-year, $33 million extension, including $15.3 million in signing and roster bonuses. Polamalu is not only the game's highest-paid safety but its black-and-gold standard, along with his Baltimore Ravens counterpart, Ed Reed. Polamalu has raised the position's profile as the key to Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's swirling, 3-4 unit, a group that helped win Super Bowl XL.

Talk about a shutdown safety. Wilson shut down his vacation four days into a planned 17-day retreat and returned home in a bid to raise his game and finally reach the playoffs this season in Arizona.

[snip]

"My first year here, Adrian was more of a loner. Now he wants to win badly," [Darnell] Dockett says. "He's better than Troy Polamalu, if you're asking me. Both of them are great players. But Adrian hits like a horse, and he's the total package.

"He's definitely made me up my game. Every day I come out here, he's asking, 'So you getting better today? You knockin' people back? What are you doing today?'"

"Next week, early next week he'll be set," O'Leary said. "We just wanted to get him some action under center and stuff and we'll continue from there. We're working with two quarterbacks right now and Greco obviously will be in the mix."