Russell Wilson might be an upgrade over Kenny Pickett. But he isn’t the one piece the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to make a Super Bowl run. That’s the view of ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who joined 93.7 The Fan Friday morning to discuss Wilson’s outlook in Pittsburgh.
“Russ isn’t the missing link in Pittsburgh,” Riddick told The Fan as transcribed by Andrew Limberg. “This is not Tom Brady coming in here and all of the sudden, he’s going to establish his own way of doing things and kind of take this team to another level.”
Wilson starts anew with the Steelers after two difficult years with the Denver Broncos. Denver thought Wilson was their missing link, a franchise quarterback to compete with Patrick Mahomes in the AFC West. Instead, they had a miserable 2022 season under Nathaniel Hackett and Sean Payton wasn’t as enthused about him in 2023, benching Wilson by year’s end.
Though Wilson is a clear upgrade in talent and production over Pickett, whether or not he’s the long-term answer remains to be seen. Pittsburgh could still be stuck in quarterback “purgatory,” now good enough to win a playoff game but not strong enough to make a serious Super Bowl run.
Still, that’s what 2024 is for. The good news is Pittsburgh has little invested in him. In fact, they couldn’t have anything less. Because of offset language in his Broncos’ contract, Denver’s on the hook for nearly all of his 2024 salary, allowing the Steelers to pay him the veteran minimum of just over $1 million. If Russell Wilson isn’t the missing puzzle piece, Pittsburgh can try again in 2025 or perhaps find out what they have with Justin Fields over the 2024 season. Some analysts believe Fields will even open the fall as the team’s starter. Pittsburgh has left that door open though it’s clearly Wilson’s job to lose.
Perhaps he isn’t the missing link but even a “normal” NFL passing game combined with a strong running game and solid defense creates the foundation of a team who can do more than it has the past several seasons.
