News of the mutual interest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and veteran free agent quarterback Russell Wilson that has a tentative meeting scheduled was a bit of a surprise Thursday morning.
On paper, if the Steelers were to sign Wilson, the presumption is he would come in as the starting quarterback, even at 35 years old and on his third team in four years. After all, Wilson has a Hall-of-Fame resume and is coming off a strong 2023 season with the Denver Broncos, throwing for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions.
But for former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden, that shouldn’t be the assumption. In fact, McFadden — during an appearance on CBS Sports Network — said he believes that signing Wilson would benefit the Steelers and Kenny Pickett.
“I think Russell provides that competition element, something that Kenny Pickett needs, and allow the best man to win if it’s a true competition,” McFadden said, according to video via CBS Sports on YouTube. “That is when you talk about getting ready for this season. Not to mention Russell Wilson, in my opinion, I think he’s still a starting quarterback in the National Football League.”
Though things ended in rather ugly fashion in Denver with Wilson despite his strong numbers, his release from the Broncos isn’t a reflection on his talent level. He remains a good starting quarterback in the league, much like McFadden stated. He’s also one of the best quarterbacks in the red zone in recent years, at least according to Pro Football Focus.
His mobility might be declining some, but he still throws a great deep ball and has also strong accuracy.
The fit makes sense, especially with Mike Tomlin as head coach and Arthur Smith as the new offensive coordinator building around a strong running game.
He might come cheap, too. Wilson could theoretically sign for the veteran minimum of $1.21 million due to the offsets in his contract with Denver, which will have the Broncos paying him $39 million this season to not be their quarterback along with carrying an absurd $85 million dead cap hit.
That potential discount is something that could interest the Steelers, too, according to McFadden.
“So for Pittsburgh, this makes sense because one thing I know about the Pittsburgh Steelers: they are bargain shoppers. Anytime they go to shop, they’re looking for some type of deal,” McFadden said. “And this is the ultimate deal when you talk about the salary that Russell Wilson could see from Pittsburgh knowing that all of his money is still coming from the Denver Broncos. So this is a low-risk type of move for the Pittsburgh Steelers financially. And this is something that they have been known to do when you talk about trying to find the best clearance-type deals available that can potentially improve their team.”
The Steelers are largely fiscally responsible when it comes to signing outside free agents, and that could potentially be the case with Wilson, too.
There is a clear need for another quarterback on the roster, and likely an upgrade over Pickett. Wilson could come cheap, too, which is all the better for the Steelers if that were to be the case. Then, we’ll see how the “competition” plays out in OTAs, minicamp and training camp.
If it is actually a competition.
