Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Chad Brown is now an analyst for the Denver Broncos, and needless to say, he is not a fan of the Steelers potentially bringing in Russell Wilson. During an appearance on The Matt Koll Show on 93.7 The Fan, Brown explained why he doesn’t think Wilson would work out in Pittsburgh.
“Russell Wilson is always going to be judged by the height of his career. I don’t think he’s anywhere near that same player anymore,” Brown said.
Brown said that over the last two years, Wilson hasn’t benefited from the run game he had in Seattle, and it’s caused him to struggle. According to Brown, Wilson has tried to do too much and go against the play that was called.
“He would not go through his progressions right. He would run the way not as it was called by Sean Payton but in the Russell Wilson way,” Brown said. “So the defense did not get the look that Sean Payton was trying to get the defense to see, therefore the setup never happened for the explosive play to be successful later on in the ballgame. So that was a major issue for Sean Payton, that’s why I think Russell Wilson was benched, because as the play-caller, you want someone who’s going to go out there and execute the play.”
Brown said if the Steelers go that route, they’re going to have to run plays knowing that Wilson might not know them properly, and he’s going to need more freedom within the offense than Arthur Smith might be willing to give him.
“I can’t see that relationship going very well either,” Brown said. “It obviously didn’t go very well with he and Sean Payton, and I can’t imagine Arthur Smith being a fan of that style of quarterback play.”
Brown also said there are personality issues with Wilson.
“When I did a coaching internship in Seattle, I had heard rumors about the Russell Wilson thing,” Brown added. “But to be in the locker room and the team meetings, and to see the disconnect between he and particularly some guys on the defensive side of the ball. I didn’t think it was very healthy from a locker room relationship standpoint.”
He said that the “entourage” Wilson showed up with in Denver is something he “never heard of before,” and that you’d have to find a way to deal with Wilson’s personality if you bring him into the locker room. He said Wilson’s attitude that everything’s always positive can rub people the wrong way and cause issues within the locker room.
The chances the Steelers actually bring in Wilson are extremely low. Omar Khan talked yesterday about the team wanting to bring Mason Rudolph back, and the Steelers seem to remain committed to Kenny Pickett. If you factor in the added baggage that Wilson can bring, plus the fact he’s on the downside of his career, it just doesn’t seem like a commitment the Steelers would be willing to make.
Mike Tomlin has said that Pickett is the starter but will be challenged with competition, and Wilson coming in would probably make him the starter from Day One. That doesn’t vibe with the comments the Steelers have made, and it would be a shock to me if the Steelers made a splashy move at the quarterback position like signing Wilson. Brown knows the issues with Wilson well due to his time working in Denver, and if he’s against the move, it sounds like one that wouldn’t be smart for the Steelers.
With a new offensive coordinator, maybe Pickett can take a step forward, as he struggled under Matt Canada but had one of the best games in his career in Week 12 when Mike Sullivan was calling plays. With Smith on board as offensive coordinator, there’s hope he can get the most out of Pickett or whoever Pittsburgh’s starter might be. If the Steelers do re-sign Rudolph, then the competition will be between Picket and Rudolph, and we can end the discussion of the Steelers going after Wilson, Justin Fields or Kirk Cousins.
The Steelers signing Wilson isn’t a move that feels likely, and if it does happen, there’s a chance that it just won’t work out for all the reasons Brown laid out and the fact that he’s going to be 35 and turn 36 during the 2024 season. With free agency kicking off in under two weeks, hopefully we can put all the quarterback speculation to bed sooner rather than later.
