The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to find themselves in an interesting situation once this season ends. They’ll need to decide who they want to be their starting quarterback next year. Russell Wilson has performed admirably, but the past few games have not been kind to him. There’s no guarantee that he’ll be back with the Steelers next year. For that reason, former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho believes the pressure is on for Wilson to put in a good performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“When it’s time to go get a contract, teams aren’t looking for reasons to pay you,” Acho said Thursday on FS1’s The Facility. “Teams are looking for reasons not to pay you. Russ, if you lose four games in a row in the regular season, go into the playoffs and then lose to the Ravens again because you’ll likely have to travel as the six seed to the three seed and play the Baltimore Ravens in [their stadium]…Lose five games in a row, the Steelers will find a reason not to pay you.”
It’s tough to say for certain if Acho is correct. Wilson has been part of the reason the Steelers have struggled recently, but he isn’t the only reason they’ve lost. Their defense has been abysmal as well. The Steelers might still see upside in Wilson.
Also, the Steelers could lose to the Bengals even if Wilson plays well. He had one of his best NFL games ever on Dec. 1 against the Bengals. Wilson could impress again, but if the Steelers’ defense can’t contain Joe Burrow and company, it might not matter.
However, the Steelers would probably be more open to moving on from Wilson if they lose this week and then go one and done in the playoffs again. They signed Wilson with the belief that he would elevate them and help them win in the postseason. If he’s part of the reason they continue to lose, the Steelers might not feel comfortable giving him a bigger deal.
This is all hypothetical, of course. The picture will likely be clearer after this week’s game. There is pressure on Wilson, but as an aging quarterback on a one-year deal, that isn’t surprising. Wilson has been dealing with pressure all season. Hopefully, he responds well this week, leading the Steelers to a win. That would probably go a long way toward shoring up their confidence in him.
