Free agency kicked off for the Pittsburgh Steelers before the legal tampering period even opened, with the team reportedly coming to an agreement with former Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson. Given the fact that Wilson is signing for just $1.2 million, the signing was graded an “A” by ESPN’s Matt Miller.
“Getting Wilson for $1.2 million is a steal. Even if he’s not the quarterback he was during his prime in Seattle, consider that the Steelers won 10 games and made the playoffs last season with the NFL’s sixth-lowest passing yardage (3,163) and second-fewest passing touchdowns (tied at 13),” Miller wrote. “If Wilson can do better than a 13-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio — which is what the Steelers had in 2023 — you have to feel good about Pittsburgh’s chances. This is a chance at redemption for Wilson, a player who looked like a first-ballot Hall of Famer two seasons ago. And it’s a chance for Pittsburgh to have above-par quarterback play once again. This is a win-win for both Wilson and the Steelers.”
There’s no doubt that getting Wilson on the veteran minimum makes it a low-risk move. On the chance that Wilson comes in and just doesn’t look good, the Steelers can move on without really any financial commitment. The upside for Wilson to give the Steelers better quarterback play than Kenny Pickett is there, and given the potential and lack of risk, the grade makes sense.
While there’s really no risk for this season, my only question about the move is where it puts the Steelers after the 2024 season. The more I think about it, the more I get it. The Steelers are desperate for a playoff win, and they clearly feel that Wilson is best equipped to make that happen. Cameron Heyward reportedly pushed for the move, which shows me they think Wilson can help them win. Knowing that Heyward, one of the team leaders, pushed for the move also shows that it’s something that the locker room wanted, and that makes me feel better with Wilson’s personality being cited as a potential issue for his fit in Pittsburgh.
Wilson is probably going to enter 2024 as Pittsburgh’s starter, even though the team will claim there’s a competition between the nine-time Pro Bowler and Pickett. Wilson has the chance to become the 2024 version of Baker Mayfield, who took a cheap, one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had a career year and led Tampa to the NFC Divisional Round before inking a massive three-year extension. Wilson is older and more accomplished than Mayfield in his career, and the fact that he’s won before and knows what it takes to win should at least bring some hope that he can win in Pittsburgh.
It’s not a move that I foresaw coming, and it’s not one that I initially liked the idea of. I’m still not fully sold that Wilson can get the Steelers over the hump, but he has the support of the coaching staff and the locker room and it’s going to be fascinating to see how it works out. If nothing else, things are going to be interesting, no matter how good or bad it gets with Wilson. But given the lack of risk involved, the “A” grade for the signing makes a lot of sense.
