One thing the Pittsburgh Steelers can no longer be accused of is being conservative. Or not doing everything in your power to put yourself in a position to win championships.
That became abundantly clear after Russell Wilson was courted and convinced to join a team whose general manager, Omar Khan, said less than two weeks ago that he had “full faith” in starting quarterback Kenny Pickett and wanted to re-sign. to the free agent quarterback. Mason Rudolph, who surprisingly led Pittsburgh to the playoffs in 2023.
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Adding Wilson isn’t conservative, even if it is financially conservative: The Broncos will pay just under $38 million of his guaranteed $39 million salary. The move shows the Steelers will do anything to win now, even if there’s only a slim chance the 35-year-old (who had a .386 winning percentage over the past three seasons) ever returns to his playing style. championship.
It doesn’t matter. Win now and worry about the future another time. Wilson certainly shows that the Steelers are thinking about winning now when it comes to quarterback play.
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He went 11-19 in two seasons with the Broncos after spending a decade with Seattle. He bounced back from a miserable 2022 season to throw for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in 2023.
Wilson still lost his job after going 7-8 in coach Sean Payton’s first season. He led the Broncos to consecutive wins over Green Bay, Kansas City, Buffalo, Minnesota and Cleveland, but lost three of their last four before being benched.
Year 13. Grateful. @acereros pic.twitter.com/0U4Q2sRtXs
—Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 11, 2024
But there are consequences to what surely seems like a low-risk, no-loss situation for Pittsburgh.
By signing Wilson, the Steelers are beginning the process of finding a franchise quarterback again.
You don’t bring in a nine-time Pro Bowler, or better yet, a former Super Bowl champion at a cheap price to compete with a third-year quarterback who has thrown just 13 touchdowns in 24 career starts, like he has. Pickett fact.
The problem is that there is no guarantee that Wilson, who agreed to a one-year deal, will be with the Steelers in 2025. Maybe he will play so well that he can make more money in free agency, or maybe he will fail miserably. like he did two years ago and the Steelers won’t want him back.
This appears to be a one-year experiment.
Even if Wilson plays well, he will turn 36 in November. How confident are you that a quarterback not named Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or John Elway will win a Super Bowl at that age?
And do you think the Steelers are really just one quarterback away from a championship?
Now, that doesn’t mean it’s a wrong decision. Considering how Pickett has played, his lack of development in his second season and the team’s obvious lack of faith in Rudolph, this is a no-brainer signing, a no-brainer with consequences.
It’s about what you value.
Would you rather have the opportunity to be more competitive with a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback late in his career? Or give the 20th pick in the 2022 draft, a guy the Steelers spoke glowingly about for the better part of 18 months, another year with a competent coordinator and a new position coach?
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If you say you’re trying to win now and to hell with the consequences, the answer is Wilson.
If you say you’re not interested in a list of potential quarterbacks of the future, the answer is Pickett, or whoever they might bring in or draft next year. The best-case scenario is to draft a quarterback in 2025 and develop him, which would take you at least until 2027 before you know if you have the quarterback of the future.
You can deal with 2027 or even later if Wilson leads the Steelers to a championship. But seriously, what are the chances of that happening?
They have to be extreme.
A lot of things have to go wrong in the way of the Steelers, beyond Wilson’s good play, for them to win a Super Bowl this season. Just look at the AFC, with Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, CJ Stroud, Justin Herbert and, oh yeah, Patrick Mahomes to contend with.
Rudolph will likely sign elsewhere, and make no mistake about it, Pickett’s career as a Pittsburgh Steeler is all but over. The Steelers have to decide on Pickett’s fifth-year option next May. I suppose a colossal miss from Wilson coupled with a late-season push from Pickett could change the youngster’s trajectory, but that’s asking a lot.
Wilson’s signing had as much to do with his play as it did with his salary.
It’s not often you get a $40 million quarterback for $1.21 million, so it’s understandable why the Steelers were coy about Wilson until news of his impending release became official, and he was allowed to negotiate with others. equipment before release.
Call it what it is: a calculated gamble… a calculated gamble that alienated two quarterbacks in the process.
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Losing Pickett doesn’t seem like a big deal right now, but it could be.
He didn’t get many opportunities during his rookie season, taking almost all of the reps with the third team until just before the season. He was then thrown into the game 14 quarters into his career, with Matt Canada as his offensive coordinator and a top-down directive to streamline the offense. Pickett’s relative success in that environment was a shock.
Last season was a total disaster the day after preseason ended, and you can’t help but think Canada had a lot to do with that. If his offense wasn’t suited for a Hall of Famer like Ben Roethlisberger, how could Pickett succeed?
Pickett couldn’t and didn’t. I get it, I do it.
But that was all supposed to change this year with Arthur Smith running the offense and Tom Arth bringing the knowledge he passed on to Herbert with the Chargers.
Now, that won’t happen. When you think of Pickett, there will always be a “What if?”
What would happen if the Steelers didn’t retain Canada after the 2022 season? What if Pickett had a third year to develop? These questions will never be answered now.
All signing Wilson will do is ensure a revolving door at the quarterback position, with no end in sight.
The only thing that will make this worth it is winning a Super Bowl, because when the Steelers decided to sign Wilson, they ensured that they would not have a stable quarterback position for years to come.
If you’re okay with those consequences, then let’s ride… or should I say #HereWeGo?
(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
