The uncertainty over the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation naturally creates some level of discomfort. The unknown over how much Russell Wilson has left in the tank. If his Denver struggles were a product of mismatching coaching or Wilson’s game truly declining. And if he plays well, what does a long-term contract look like?
For Albert Breer, that lack of comfort is a good thing. Pittsburgh should lean into it if it wants to maximize Wilson’s game.
“Here’s my sense of the whole thing—Wilson will enter camp as the starter, but the Pittsburgh Steelers’ belief would be that what’s best for him, and ostensibly the team, is for him to have to fight for the job,” Breer wrote in a Thursday Sports Illustrated mailbag when asked about the Steelers’ QB outlook. “In other words, keeping Wilson out of his comfort zone should help them get the best out of him in the summer, and the best from him in the fall.”
Breer is framing the creation of a quarterback competition between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Let the two battle and push each other. A good plan on paper but every signal has pointed to Wilson being the team’s obvious starter, even if the Steelers haven’t officially proclaimed it. As a player, changing Wilson’s style and tendencies could also help. Not known as a quarterback to throw over the middle much, Wilson could utilize that real estate in Pittsburgh’s tight end-heavy offense. One in which Pat Freiermuth is the team’s second-best receiver behind George Pickens.
We’ve also written about Wilson’s need to speed up his game and get the ball out sooner. He and Justin Fields have two of the longest snap-to-throw times in the NFL, leading to sacks and negative plays. Wilson doesn’t need to develop the lightning-fast release Ben Roethlisberger evolved into, but he can’t hold the ball for three seconds per drop back. The team must also schematically avoid the bat downs Wilson faced in Denver, 30 of them over his two years with the Broncos.
Still, there is value in doing what’s comfortable for Wilson. Getting back to his Seattle roots of a healthy running game with a powerful back (Marshawn Lynch in Seattle, Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh) and a system that doesn’t ask Russell Wilson to run the entire show. His best years with the Seahawks came while he was middle-of-the-pack in passing attempts. With a healthy ground game and stout defense, all Wilson needs to do is post a similar stat line to a year ago, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. If he does that with even marginally better tape, the Steelers will be playoff bound.
