With nothing but positive reports coming out of the meeting between Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers that took place on Friday, the big news of the offseason was finally announced with Wilson agreeing to come to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal.
With a late-breaking story on a Sunday evening, the first major network show to react to the news was CBS Sports HQ with Emory Hunt and Will Brinson. Hunt expressed a lot of positivity surrounding this move.
“I love it for Pittsburgh because when you look at that division, they needed someone like Russell Wilson,” Hunt said in a video posted on CBS Sports’ YouTube channel. “It now puts the entire division in play to get to the postseason this upcoming season.”
The Steelers are in one of the most quarterback-heavy divisions in the NFL at the moment. Joe Burrow with the Cincinnati Bengals, reigning MVP Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens, and Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns. Now Wilson joins the mix and balances out the firepower within the division.
The only difference is, those other three names are highly paid. According to Over The Cap, Burrow, Jackson, and Watson are all within the top seven average annual value of quarterback contracts. Wilson is also in the top seven, but the Steelers will not be picking up the tab on the full salary cap hit. The Denver Broncos still owe him the rest of his guaranteed money while the Steelers are getting his services for a reported $1.21 million contract.
So all three of the other AFC North teams have very expensive contracts at the priciest position in the league while the Steelers have that extra money to reinvest in free agency. GM Omar Khan now has a lot of options without having to sign an expensive backup.
Even without a quarterback position that was sorted out in Pittsburgh, the Steelers went 5-1 against their division opponents in 2023 and qualified for the playoffs.
“If you’re Pittsburgh, you’re ecstatic. ‘Cause you have a guy that can help you not only win the division, but also get to the postseason and make a serious run,” Hunt said. “I still feel like Russell Wilson has a lot left to give in the tank. He is a future first ballot Hall of Famer.”
While not a lock to be a first-ballot guy, his numbers up until his rough two-year stint in Denver were well on pace to eventually get inducted. Either way, the Steelers are getting the kind of pedigree that is needed—with the new offense and the young weapons to supplement—to be a serious contender.
