The reason that Russell Wilson is here is simple enough: he came cheap. The Pittsburgh Steelers seized the opportunity to sign him to a Veteran Salary Benefit contract knowing the upside is immense. Wilson is a franchise quarterback, or at least he has been, and they didn’t have to pay much to find out if he still is.
Watching Wilson attempt to redeem himself and renovate his career is compelling television as a former Super Bowl champion. Previously on a Hall of Fame trajectory, he flamed out of sorts with the Denver Broncos. The fact that the Broncos paid a king’s ransom just to get him and then released him only adds to it.
“This is one of the great experiments of the 2024 season”, Mike Florio said of Russell Wilson with the Steelers on 93.7 The Fan. “The past two years, how much of it was round peg, square hole? Broncos, both under Nathaniel Hackett and then last year under Sean Payton, just not using Russell Wilson the right way? Were they failing to utilize him the right way?”.
Many have questioned the dynamics in Wilson’s relationship with Payton. Payton is not even the one who traded for Wilson, who did not ideally fit into his offense. And Hackett was never a good head coach in the first place, inheriting a subpar team on top of that. That Wilson failed to thrive with the Broncos is not a terrible shock, especially in hindsight.
But there are still very real questions about who Russell Wilson is at this point in his career. Many acknowledge that he needs a certain setup in order to thrive. They point out that he was at his best in Seattle with a strong defense and running game. But can the Steelers give him the offense necessary to maximize his abilities?
“If Arthur Smith and the Steelers used Russell Wilson the right way, can he get back to playing like he did in Seattle? I think that’s the standard for him”, Florio said. “He’s got to start playing like he did in Seattle or there isn’t gonna be an opportunity to play until he’s 40, much less 45… He’s got to get back to playing like he did in Seattle or his days as a starter are gonna be over”.
That’s another element of the discussion, of course. Is this Russell Wilson’s last chance at redemption? He has a losing record in each of the past three seasons going back to Seattle. The Steelers haven’t had a losing record since he was a high school freshman, Wilson now in Year 13 in the NFL.
The Steelers are trusting that they have done enough to address the offensive line, for starters. They have drafted three linemen in the first three rounds over the past two drafts, and Wilson needs their protection. He often works best off-schedule, so they have to sustain their blocks. And they need to block for a strong running game, as well.
If Russell Wilson can lead the Steelers to their first playoff win since 2016, that would be a big deal. But they perpetually set their sights higher, instead aiming for a Super Bowl. They have won it before, and Wilson has as well. Can they get back to the top together? Is this “one of the great experiments of the 2024 season”?
