Steelers' New Quarterback Russell Wilson Takes A Truthful Shot At Kenny Pickett About Touchdowns

The Pittsburgh Steelers signaled a shift in direction by making some impactful, massive moves at the quarterback position. Not only did Pittsburgh sign former Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson to a one-year contract, they traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. While there were certainly plenty of different reasons for the change under center, a distinct lack of production stands out as the main catalyst for Wilson now wearing black and gold.

Matt Canada may have been overseeing the offense during most of Pickett's career in Pittsburgh, but the former first-round pick ended up being shockingly risk-averse in the NFL. In 25 games as a professional quarterback, Pickett managed 13 touchdowns. When that is compared to Wilson's 26 touchdowns in 2023 alone, the gap becomes pretty obvious.

The Steelers had promised a quarterback competition, but after Pickett got himself shipped to the Eagles, it's once again a one-man show for the moment in the position room. During Wilson's introductory press conference in Pittsburgh, he made it quite clear that scoring was important and the only way the team could move forward. The former Denver Broncos' quarterback was asked about a 2023 game in which Denver beat the Kansas City Chiefs, where Wilson only threw for 114 yards but had three touchdown passes. 

"You know, I think the best thing about it is when the defense gets turnovers like we did in that game. Makes a short field, and then you go attack the end zone, and we lit it up that day...To be able to come here, you know, with this defense, really excited me here... So, listen, I've never been a numbers guy, you know. What I care about, number one, is wins; that's the first thing. The second thing is, you know, touchdowns do matter. Those help those wins and solidify them. You know, I'm used to being in the end zone."

When Wilson mentioned that touchdowns mattered, Mike Tomlin agreed out loud during the press conference. The Steelers' three quarterbacks in 2023 combined for 13 touchdown passes during the season: three from Mason Rudolph, four from Mitch Trubisky, and six from the now-traded Pickett. Considering Tomlin is coming off that kind of production, or lack thereof, the prospect of surpassing that has Pittsburgh's head coach excited.

Wilson has put together an impressive resume as he is entering his 13th NFL season. The former Seattle Seahawks' quarterback has been a Pro Bowl selection nine times in his career and joins Cameron Heyward as a Walter Payton Man of the Year (2020 for Wilson). After Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers knew they were in for a period of transition, but with Wilson in town, it may finally feel like there can be some stability, at least for the moment.

Steelers' Offense Ready For A Better 2024

It would be difficult for the Steelers to do much worse than how their offense performed during the 2023 season. Canada seemed to go out of his way to make things as easy as he could for opposing defenses, which made it all the more impressive when the campaign finished with a Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills.

With Wilson at the helm, the Steelers believe that the most trying times of 2024 can't possibly be more frustrating than the combination of Pickett and Canada. Not only did Pickett throw as many interceptions in his career as he did touchdowns (13 interceptions), he seemed to wait until the final quarter to come alive. Under Wilson, they are hoping for a full, four-quarter approach that won't result in another season when achieving a non-losing year is an accomplishment.

Taking nothing away from the unexpected three-game winning streak that got the Steelers into the 2023 Wild Card contest, but Pittsburgh has loftier goals. With an elite defense, a bruising rushing attack, a retooled offensive line, and a new offensive coordinator, Wilson will be armed with everything he should need to succeed. All that's left to see is whether these moves will have the intended impact and get the Steelers back to winning championships - or at least competing for them.

Will the 2024 Steelers win a playoff game? 

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