Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson seems to be the hottest name on the lips (or at the fingertips) of plenty of people in connection with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Obviously, that is a non-starter unless the Broncos release Wilson. Which, to be fair, is the expectation at this point.
However, does the move make sense for the Steelers? Wilson will turn 36 during the 2024 season and will not be a long-term solution at quarterback. According to Bill Reiter, it’s not a perfect fit but it does make sense.
“The Steelers want to win now, and their owner has said that,” Reiter said Wednesday on the Reiter Than You show. “They have to win a playoff game this year, I think, to keep the pressure off and avoid the mistake of getting rid of Mike Tomlin or him wanting to leave. Russell Wilson might be the best bad option that is out there.”
Owner Art Rooney II has made it clear that the team needs to start winning playoff games. After all, the Steelers haven’t won a single playoff game since 2016. For an organization that says it holds itself to a championship standard, that’s far too long. You can’t win a Super Bowl without winning playoff games. It’s also obvious that the offense is a huge problem for the Steelers, and the lack of production from the quarterback position is holding the entire team back.
Currently, the Steelers only have one quarterback under contract for 2024, and that’s Kenny Pickett. The Steelers will certainly be adding multiple quarterbacks during the offseason to get ready for training camp. The question is how ambitious the team will be.
For Reiter, if the Steelers are truly about winning playoff games this season, Wilson is going to be the best option of a less-than-stellar bunch. Potentially available quarterbacks include older veterans on the downswing of their careers (and even coming off injuries, like Kirk Cousins) or unproven players (hello, Justin Fields). So to be a quarterback-needy team with the 20th overall pick in the draft is not ideal.
Reiter calling Wilson “the best bad option” doesn’t actually mean Wilson is a bad quarterback. After all, his production in 15 games during the 2023 season was far and away better than the production the Steelers got. Wilson completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He threw a touchdown on 5.8 percent of his passing attempts versus an interception 1.8 percent of the time.
It just means that there is a lot of uncertainty. As noted above, Wilson is not a young quarterback. Then there is the falling out with Sean Payton in Denver. Wilson isn’t without his blemishes, real and overblown. It certainly doesn’t mean that he can’t be a help to a team, though.
There does seem to be some consensus in the media world that Wilson is the best short-term option for the Steelers. Former NFL wide receiver Victor Cruz even said that the Steelers will win the AFC North if the team adds Wilson this offseason. Reiter did advise caution with Wilson, saying that the Steelers cannot get locked into a long-term contract, which is the exact problem the Broncos find themselves in.
Reiter did mention one other interesting name for the Steelers. At the end of the segment, he floated former Cleveland Browns (and longtime Baltimore Ravens) QB Joe Flacco as an option due to his successful stint late in the season with the Browns. He joins Zach Gelb who mentioned Flacco on Tuesday’s episode of the Zach Gelb Show as the best option meeting the Steelers’ desire to win playoff games while also getting a good look at Pickett.
No matter who joins in the offseason, all eyes will continue to be on the Steelers’ quarterback room until it is resolved one way or another.
