News from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Russell Wilson will be signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency sent social media into a frenzy late Sunday night.
In reality, though, this move should not be polarizing. The reported agreement with the Steelers and Wilson is for one year at the veteran minimum of roughly $1.2 million. Denver will be on the hook for the remaining $37.8 million owed to the nine-time Pro Bowler for 2024.
Yes, the Broncos are in cap hell after getting rid of Wilson. But that decision was largely made based on his style not fitting what head coach Sean Payton — who was hired before the 2023 season — covets in a quarterback.
The Steelers, dealing with quarterback uncertainty of their own, took advantage.
Pittsburgh is coming off a season in which Kenny Pickett threw for just six touchdowns in 12 games. He has 13 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in 25 games in the NFL. The Steelers made the playoffs, but that was largely because Mason Rudolph helped rescue the season.
Wilson — the guy Denver is dumping when the official league year starts Wednesday — threw for 26 touchdowns with only eight interceptions in 2023. Although he was also eventually replaced, the Broncos (8-9 in 2023) did not experience a rise without him at QB.
Of course, what happened to Pickett and Wilson in 2023 is not as simple as looking at the numbers. But what is simple is why the Steelers pulled the trigger on adding a veteran quarterback with no downside.
Because even if you feel Wilson can’t offer anything of value, there is no risk attached to him. The Steelers have been vocal about wanting to bring in a veteran to push Pickett. Their options were to either re-sign Rudolph, pay big money to someone such as Baker Mayfield or Kirk Cousins or give up draft capital in a trade for Justin Fields, another former first-rounder who still has plenty prove.
Those options were either unrealistic or had greater risks attached. Once Wilson became available, the choice was clear.
If Wilson can duplicate his 2023 and avoid reverting to his poor 2022 season, he’s a significant upgrade at the position. If Wilson can’t and he’s washed up at 35 or causes problems in the locker room, Pittsburgh can simply move on and go back to the drawing board without suffering through the financial hardships Denver is dealing with.
This choice for the Steelers was easy.
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