Buy Or Sell: Russell Wilson makes the Steelers Super Bowl contenders.
Explanation: The Steelers believe they are Super Bowl contenders every year, but not everybody agrees. They surely see adding Russell Wilson as going all in, of sorts, for 2024, perhaps to maximize an aging defense. But Wilson in 2024 is far removed from the second-year player who won the Super Bowl in 2013. He had a shot at a dynasty in Seattle and he couldn’t close the deal. This Steelers roster, however, doesn’t need him to be a superhero.
Buy:
While the Steelers don’t have a flawless roster, the one piece they truly lacked is now in their possession. They now have a competent and experienced quarterback who knows how to navigate an NFL season. Kenny Pickett certainly didn’t offer that, nor did Mason Rudolph.
Wilson protects the football and finds the end zone. He tossed 16 touchdowns in the red zone last season without the benefit of a strong running game. Javonte Williams averaged 3.6 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. The Steelers intend to ride Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and they should have their best running game in years.
Meanwhile, the defense is still formidable with the likelihood of some nice upgrades. T.J. Watt is still T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick should manage better luck on the health front in 2024. With an offense that can control possessions better, the defense will only be stronger.
Sell:
Stop it. Just stop it. Maybe they manage to knock off a fourth seed as the top wild-card team, but the Steelers aren’t Super Bowl contenders. Wilson is the best quarterback they’d had since Ben Roethlisberger retired—if not a bit before that, but this doesn’t fundamentally change who the team is.
This is Russell Wilson in 2024. He’s no longer an elite player. And the problem is, he still comes with the same flaws he always had that he used to mask. His scrambling is less effective and elusive with each passing year.
And the Steelers don’t have an elite run game or an elite defense. The run game is merely capable of efficiency on a per-play basis; it’s not going to flip the field regularly. For all we know, Wilson won’t even mesh with Arthur Smith, possibly struggling to learn another offense. And then we’re back to the Kenny Pickett Show, which, even if improved, still lacks hardware potential.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
