Following the signing of veteran quarterback and future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson, excitement has been rather high surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially as the Wilson signing was part of a very busy offseason to date.
Expectations though, those are another thing entirely.
While Wilson has the resume to reach Canton one day, he isn’t the same quarterback he was during the height of his powers at the position. In fact, he’s coming off a rough stretch to close his career in Seattle and then a bad first season in Denver. While he turned it around in 2023 for the Denver Broncos, throwing for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, expectations regarding Wilson and the fit with the Steelers seem to be all over the place.
For ESPN and FTN analyst Aaron Schatz, Wilson isn’t a washed-up quarterback, and he certainly isn’t a great one at this point either. During an appearance on the “North Shore Drive” podcast Wednesday with the Post-Gazette’s Christopher Carter, Schatz summed up Wilson by calling him “meh.”
“He’s not washed. He’s just meh,” Schatz said of Wilson, according to video via the Post-Gazette on YouTube. “He hasn’t been terrible. Two years ago, he was pretty bad. Last year he was not terrible. We had him 22nd in total value, passing value, and he was a little bit below average, you know? So I think that’s what you’re getting with Russell Wilson. You’re getting a little bit below average with some highs and some lows.
“He’ll make some decisions that’ll drive you nuts, and he’ll do some good things, too. And I think if the defense plays as well as the Steelers defense can play, then this team can make the playoffs with that.”
Realistically, based on the way the Steelers have built their roster and leaned into the style of play that they want under head coach Mike Tomlin, which is a ground-and-pound style offensively while leaning on a star-studded defense to win low-scoring games, Wilson fits well.
He’s not going to make the crucial mistake, he’s going to take care of the football, occasionally hit the big play down the field, and will provide a steady presence to the Steelers, something they haven’t had at the position since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Hearing that the new starting quarterback is just “meh” certainly can’t be exciting for many Steelers fans, but based on the play the franchise has gotten the last two seasons at the position, “meh” and perfectly average should be more than good enough for the Steelers to win 10-plus games and maybe even squeak out a win in the playoffs.
Wilson’s numbers last season in Denver were strong before he was benched to avoid injury, allowing the Broncos to get out of his contract.
Now, he’s in Pittsburgh, rejuvenated and back in a support system that could get the best out of him again. Remember, in Seattle during his early days he had a great running game and a star-studded defense around him to carry the load, allowing Wilson to play within himself, not to do too much, and win a lot of games.
The Steelers are hoping that’s what happens again at this point in his career with Wilson. It’s all there for him.
The question then becomes: will Wilson want to play that way? That remains to be seen. But at 35 years old, he’s nearing the end of his career and has to know he isn’t what he once was.
Excitement is high following his addition to the Steelers, but expectations are another thing entirely. Schatz tried to temper those expectations.
