Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is 35 years old and just finished two of the worst years of his career with the Denver Broncos after 10 successful seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson was released by the Broncos and the folks in the Mile High city are taking on $85 million dollars in dead money just to get Wilson out of Denver. The Steelers signed Wilson to a veteran minimum contract with the intention to get him in a situation that can help him succeed like he did in Seattle. When Wilson's team can run the ball, play good defense and be successful in the play-action pass game, he's a different quarterback.
AP
Steelers' Russell Wilson talking with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin has said that Wilson is in "pole position" to be the team's starting quarterback. The question of who will take the first snap at quarterback for the Steelers in the 2024 regular season seems to be answered. However, there is still a huge question mark regarding the Steelers' quarterback situation. Which version of Wilson will Pittsburgh be getting?
Wilson, from 2012-2021 with the Seahawks, included him winning a Super Bowl and was named a Pro Bowl quarterback nine times. Wilson, in 2022 and 2023, struggled mightily with the Broncos. That's the tale of two completely different players, Wilson was a top quarterback in the NFL in Seattle, and a liability in Denver.
Although Wilson looks to be the Steelers' first on the depth chart, former Chicago Bears first-round pick Justin Fields is waiting for his chance. If Wilson plays the way he did in 2022 and parts of 2023, it could get very complicated for Wilson. Tom Pelissero sat down with Rich Eisen on the Rich Eisen Show and discussed the state of the Steelers' quarterback room.
"They're putting everything that they have behind Russell Wilson. They want Russ to know, they want the locker room to know that this is the guy," Pelissero said. "We also know that if Russ plays like he did at times last year... and certainly like he did in 2022, that it's going to be really complicated for him to maintain his job for the entire season."
Just because Wilson will get the start in Week 1, doesn't mean he's guaranteed to start the entire season. The Steelers aren't tied to Wilson beyond the 2024 campaign. If he isn't performing and there's a young, talented 25-year-old sitting behind him ready to go, the fans won't be the only ones thinking about a change at quarterback. The Steelers went out and traded for Fields. While the Steelers didn't have to give up much to get Fields, trading for him shows that they like what they see in him.
Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun Times
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and Chicago Bears signal-caller Justin Fields meet at midfield following a regular season NFL game in Chicago, IL.
Wilson was paired with Nathaniel Hackett and Sean Payton in Denver, two coaches that are known for rhythm passing schemes, which isn't Wilson's strong suit. Arthur Smith's scheme and the overall makeup of the Steelers' offense with good backs and an improved offensive line put Wilson in a much better place to succeed.
The same can be said about Fields. The Bears brought in Luke Getsy from the Green Bay Packers to be their offensive coordinator. Getsy is similar to Hackett and Payton in the sense that he uses rhythm passing concepts in his aerial attack. Fields had success on the ground, but not as much success through the air, which is what Getsy was brought in to do.
Wilson will have the first chance with the Steelers to prove he can still be a top quarterback in the NFL in Smith's play-action heavy offense, but if he underperforms and loses the locker room, it will be interesting to see Fields get a chance. Whether it's Wilson or Fields on the field, the bare minimum expectation will be an improvement at the quarterback position from last season.
AP
Quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson warming up at the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers' OTAs.
Steelers' Russell Wilson In Much Better Position In Pittsburgh Compared To Denver
Wilson has a better overall supporting cast with the Steelers than he had in his past couple seasons. The expectation for Wilson in Pittsburgh is also much lower due to his recent play and the difference in his massive Broncos contract and the haul of draft picks the team gave up to acquire him and his veteran minimum contract with the Steelers.
Do you think Wilson will win over the locker room and perform at a high level in 2024 with the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!
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