Heading into the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers were widely circulating as a potential landing spot for several top-notch quarterback options through either a trade or free agency, such as Justin Fields, Kirk Cousins, and Russell Wilson. On Sunday, it surfaced that the Steelers will sign Russell Wilson to a one-year, $1.21 million dollar deal.
On March 4, the Denver Broncos announced that they would be releasing Wilson after two rocky seasons with the team. Wilson quickly embarked on a free agency tour, meeting with the New York Giants on March 7 and then the Steelers on March 8. Just two days later, Wilson agreed to sign with the Steelers. Jeff Howe of The Athletic believes he made this decision because it gave him the best chance at a starting job.
“Wilson had two quality meetings with the Giants and Steelers,” Howe wrote. “Both were deemed exploratory sessions, and they got a feel for their visions of the offense and Wilson’s goals for the season.
“The Giants offered no assurances on playing time, as [Daniel] Jones is expected to start once he’s cleared from his torn ACL. As for the Steelers, who benched 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett last season, Wilson has a very realistic path to a starting job for a team consistently in the playoff mix and has never finished below .500 in coach Mike Tomlin’s 17 seasons.”
By emphasizing that the Giants “offered no assurances on playing time,” Howe is claiming that the Steelers offered some assurances, or in the very least, a much clearer path toward a starting job. Jones is just two years into his four-year, $160 million dollar contract with the Giants, so it would be hard to see them replacing him with a 35-year-old signal caller who may be a bit past his prime. Meanwhile, the Steelers have shown that they will do whatever it takes at the quarterback position to win games, evidenced by their choice to bench Pickett for Mason Rudolph to close out the 2023 season.
It’s hard to imagine that this was the only factor in Wilson’s decision, especially considering the irresistible pull to play for a coach like Mike Tomlin. After all, reports surfaced that Tomlin and Wilson have a “perfect relationship,” after just a few hours together. Without knowing all the details from his meeting, it’s likely that the chance to lead a hungry, playoff-caliber team with a young, promising offensive core, was enough to tip the scales in favor of the Steelers.
It’s been eight years since the Steelers last won a playoff game, and Wilson has proven to be a playoff winner, with nine postseason wins under his belt to go along with his Super Bowl ring. On the other hand, the Giants have finished only one season with a winning record in the last seven years, making them a much less enticing destination for an aging quarterback.
Regardless of any promises that Steelers may or may not have made, this move was almost certainly intended for the Steelers to win now, potentially stalling Kenny Pickett’s evaluation window for the sake of a playoff run. Wilson had a bit of a bounce-back year with the Denver Broncos last season, throwing for 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, but it’s been four years since his last playoff win, and it remains to be seen whether he can be the savior that ends the Steelers’ drought.
For now, all I can say is “Steeler Nation, let’s ride.”
