The Pittsburgh Steelers are apparently moving one step closer to making some kind of arrangement with former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. The Broncos gave him permission to speak with other teams as he is being released. Pittsburgh sports reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac, stated via X that the Steelers are tentatively planning to meet with Wilson before the start of free agency.
The News Tribune
Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson greets former Steelers wideout Juju Smith-Schuster after a regular season matchup at Heinz Field.
Ever since the Wilson-Steelers rumors began, the media have been vocal about their feelings on the possible signing. Some believe Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin could get the best out of the Super Bowl-winning quarterback and others think this is an awful idea. The Steelers have stayed in the middle lane, refusing to offer much insight as to their plans.
There are some logical reasons why Wilson would be a good fit. He performed better under a defensive-minded head coach when he was with the Seattle Seahawks. He also comes cheap, at least for the first year. Wilson is still being paid an exorbitant sum by the Broncos and the talk is that he will play for the league minimum on a prove-it contract. After his time in Denver, Wilson has a lot to prove. There are also reasons why this would be a bad move for the Steelers and former Denver player Mark Schlereth held nothing back on the Pat McAfee Show when asked about Wilson.
"He threw the ball behind the line of scrimmage more than any other quarterback in the league last year. He took more time to throw the ball than everybody in the league other than Justin Fields. I think he completed 26% of his passes, intermediate range in the middle of the football field, which was dead last in the National Football League last year. So you can sit there and tell me that he played good and you can look at the numbers and tell me 26 and 8 is good and I will tell you it's garbage. What I saw was garbage and I'm just letting you know how it is," Schlereth ranted.
Schlereth explained some of the praise that Wilson is getting by saying, "quarterbacks are for taking quarterbacks." He feels that analysts like Dan Orlovsky, always pump up fellow quarterbacks.
Ron Chenoy / USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Russell Wilson raises his arms in the air during a game as a Denver Bronco.
During the 2023 season in Denver, Wilson completed 297 out of 447 attempted passes for a completion percentage of 66%, with 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He didn't gel in Denver and it did not work out. Things there got so toxic that the Broncos are taking an $85 million cap hit tin 2024 to unload him.
Steelers Have A Kenny Pickett Problem
Recently, former Steelers safety Ryan Clark said that he thinks the team is looking for a veteran to help bolster their argument to keep Kenny Pickett. They will have the veteran and Pickett engage in a "competition" for the starting role and then they will proclaim Pickett the winner.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A6976-544x306.jpg "Steelers Kenny Pickett")
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett throws a pass at the team's 2023 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
They are definitely in a quarterback controversy now with Pickett entering his third season after underperforming for the first two. The fanbase and the organization had high hopes that Pickett was going to be the franchise quarterback who replaced Ben Roethlisberger. He has played 25 games, starting 24, and gone 14-10. During the games he played, he completed 446 of 713 attempted passes for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns, and a matching set of 13 interceptions.
Pickett did have forces working against him those two seasons including issues with his offensive line, a terrible offensive coordinator, then interim offensive coordinators, drama with his wide receivers, and some injuries. It is easy to blame everything on Matt Canada, but the reality is that some of the blame falls on Pickett.
AP
Steelers 2023 quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph.
But the possibility of signing Wilson, or any other vet raises a lot of questions. Would Wilson be willing to be a backup to Pickett or will he only come on board knowing he's the starter? Would Pickett be willing to learn behind a veteran given that when Mason Rudolph played he claimed to learn nothing? How would the Steelers handle Wilson after year one if he is successful? Could they afford to keep him? Tell us what you think of all of this! Click to comment below.
#SteelerNation
