Player: QB Russell Wilson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: In many ways, Russell Wilson solidified the Steelers as contenders on Sunday. In his 417-yard, three-touchdown performance, he showed this team can win a shootout. The Steelers haven’t looked like a team that could win a high-scoring game in years, so this changes the narrative.
More than in perhaps any other game, Russell Wilson showed the Steelers on Sunday what they wanted out of him. And perhaps they are even showing the Denver Broncos what they whiffed on, even if they are fine with Bo Nix.
Maybe in the grand scheme of things the Steelers would rather have Nix than Wilson. But they are happy to have Wilson now, for the 2024 season. In six starts, he is 5-1 and consistently producing splash plays. His performance overall has been less consistent, but he has done enough, often enough, for the Steelers to succeed.
And he did enough despite obstacles against him on Sunday to overcome a defense allowing 31 points. Russell Wilson and the offense benefitted from a defensive touchdown. But the officials stole a touchdown from them early on when ta Bengals DB interfered with George Pickens, allowing him to record a pick-six.
The good news is that Wilson and the offense responded immediately, and in impressive fashion. Despite an early hole through unforced adversity, they marched down the field to tie the game. And, of course, the drive ended with Wilson finding Pickens for the touchdown—just his third of the year.
Through six games, Wilson is 123-of-187 for 1,626 yards with 10 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. He is the first Steelers quarterback to put up these sorts of numbers since Ben Roethlisberger. While that’s not saying much, it just reflects how valuable he has been to the team.
Most impressive is the fact that Russell Wilson is averaging 8.7 yards per pass attempt. He is averaging 8.2 intended air yards per pass attempt yet still completing 66 percent of his passes. Only Lamar Jackson and Sam Darnold have as high an average depth of target with as good a completion percentage.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
