The AFC North has an impressive list of names at quarterback, including free agent or trade acquisitions in the cases of Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns and now Russell Wilson with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Neither grew up in the division but are learning or have learned to adapt to it. And from one to another, Watson on his QB Unplugged podcast shared his thoughts on his new rival.
“It just made sense for him to go there”, he said of Wilson signing with the Steelers. “I think it was them or New York, but New York, I feel like they’re starting over. Pittsburgh feels like they’ve got pieces, just because of Tomlin. They’re gonna compete. Welcome to the North, man, where things get real, real, real, real spooky”.
In this case, it’s the New York Giants, who met with Wilson before visiting the Steelers. According to reports, he left the Giants waiting for an answer on the day he revealed his decision. Released by the Seattle Seahawks, he officially signed with the Steelers yesterday.
“Pittsburgh’s a good organization. It’s crazy for me to say that, I’m just keeping it 100, because I’m a Brown”, Watson said. “But at the end of the day you gotta give respect where respect is due. [Head coach Mike] Tomlin is gonna have them boys right”.
Watson conducted this podcast recording with co-host Quincy Avery previously, so it does not reflect the Kenny Pickett trade. But like basically everybody else, he appears to have assumed that Wilson is coming to Pittsburgh to be their starter.
After the Pickett trade, there is of course no question of that. Wilson is currently the only quarterback on the roster and they can’t realistically bring in another starting-quality competitor. He is already getting to know new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who he’s admired from afar.
The only exception is trading for Justin Fields, but if they liked him enough to be a starter I imagine they would have already traded for him. The thing is, you can’t wait on a trading partner to lower his asking price if you want a player. If you wait, you expose that player to the pursuit of every other suitor, and you can easily wind up losing him. The Steelers didn’t wait for Wilson to pursue his alternatives. That’s not the kind of risk you take when a franchise quarterback is on the line. The fact that Fields isn’t already on the roster tells you he’s not the 2024 starter in their eyes.
As for Wilson, he is trying to resurrect his career after three straight losing seasons, encompassing his tenure in Denver. He posted ugly numbers in 2022, but he played through injury. Although his stat sheet last year looked considerably better, the Broncos still finished with a losing record.
Wilson has posted three consecutive losing records after 10 consecutive winning ones in Seattle. In that decade, he went 98-45-1 as a starter with two Super Bowl appearances, one ring, and nine Pro Bowls. The Steelers don’t need him to be a Pro Bowler, but they do need him to find ways to win. Even in his time in Denver, he authored seven game-winning drives, accounting for the majority of his 11 wins.
