At the start of this season, it seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers signing Russell Wilson was going to be a trick. After the last two games, it certainly feels like a treat. Wilson has run the Steelers’ offense well, helping to unlock George Pickens. Justin Fields wasn’t shy about throwing the ball up to Pickens, but the touch Wilson throws with just seems to fit the receiver better. Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter believes Wilson’s presence is just what Pickens needed.
“They’ve had problems with [Pickens] off the field,” Carter said recently on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “You need a grown man in there throwing him the ball and talking to him. You can start to see that on the field.”
It’s probably not fair to put any blame on Fields for Pickens’ issues. However, Wilson has a vast array of experience with different talented receivers. Therefore, he might be better suited to placating Pickens. That’s not a knock on Fields; Wilson has just seen more than him.
That might be part of the reason why Mike Tomlin made the switch even after Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 start while Wilson was recovering from a nagging calf injury. Over the last few years, the Steelers have lacked true veteran leadership at quarterback. They likely believed signing Wilson would change that. It’s still only been two games, but based on everything players have said, that’s been true.
Carter also is speaking from experience. He’s most known for his time with the Minnesota Vikings, but he started his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, they ended up releasing him due to substance-abuse issues. That’s more serious than any of the problems Pickens has had, but the point about immaturity still stands.
Carter was once that young, troubled receiver. Even after he joined the Vikings, it took him a few years to really take off. It was only after veteran quarterback Warren Moon joined the team that Carter developed into a Hall of Fame talent.
“My career came alive when we got Warren Moon,” Carter said. “I’m not trying to compare Russell Wilson to Warren Moon. My career came alive because quarterbacks that can throw the ball on an elite level, they make the receivers better.”
Moon and Wilson do have similar career paths. Moon was a franchise quarterback for the Houston Oilers, even winning Offensive Player of the Year in 1990. However, before his 11th season, Moon was traded to the Vikings. He didn’t see as much success with them, but he helped Carter break out and gave them relatively good play.
Likewise, Wilson spent the first 10 years of his career with the Seattle Seahawks before being traded to the Denver Broncos before his 11th season. Moon’s style was different compared to Wilson’s, but they’ve been on similar journeys.
Much of the same can be said about Carter and Pickens. Carter had worse personal issues, but once he had a veteran quarterback throwing him the ball, he became one of the NFL’s best wide receivers. Maybe Pickens won’t see that level of success, but it isn’t crazy to think he could put up fantastic numbers with Wilson. Hopefully some of his touchdowns start to count though.
