One factor you’ll’t accuse the Pittsburgh Steelers of anymore is being conservative. Or of no longer doing the entirety of their energy to position themselves ready to win championships.
That is fairly transparent when they courted and satisfied Russell Wilson to enroll in a crew whose common supervisor, Omar Khan, mentioned not up to two weeks in the past that he had “full faith” in incumbent quarterback Kenny Pickett and sought after to re-sign free-agent quarterback Mason Rudolph, who unusually led Pittsburgh on a overdue run to the playoffs in 2023.
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Bringing Wilson on board isn’t conservative, although it’s financially — the Broncos can pay slightly below $38 million of his $39 million assured wage. The transfer displays the Steelers will do the rest to win now, although there may be handiest an out of doors likelihood that the 35-year-old (who had a .386 win proportion during the last 3 seasons) will ever go back to his championship techniques.
It doesn’t subject. Win now and fear about later every other time. Wilson undoubtedly displays the Steelers are pondering win-now on the subject of quarterback play.
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He used to be 11-19 in two seasons with the Broncos after spending a decade with Seattle. He bounced again from a depressing 2022 season to throw for three,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and handiest 8 interceptions in 2023.
Wilson nonetheless misplaced his task after going 7-8 in trainer Sean Payton’s first season. He led the Broncos to consecutive wins over Green Bay, Kansas City, Buffalo, Minnesota and Cleveland however misplaced 3 of his closing 4 ahead of being benched.
Year 13. Grateful. @Steelers pic.twitter.com/0U4Q2sRtXs
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) March 11, 2024
But there are penalties to what positive looks as if a low-risk, no-lose scenario for Pittsburgh.
By signing Wilson, the Steelers are beginning the method of discovering a franchise quarterback in every single place once more.
You don’t herald a nine-time Pro Bowler, or higher but, a former Super Bowl champ with an inexpensive price ticket to compete with a third-year quarterback who has thrown handiest 13 touchdowns in 24 profession begins, as Pickett has.
The catch is that there’s no ensure Wilson, who agreed to a one-year deal, can be at the Steelers in 2025. Maybe he’ll play so smartly that he can make more cash in unfastened company, or perhaps he’ll fail miserably like he did two years in the past and the Steelers gained’t need him again.
This screams of being a one-year experiment.
Even if Wilson does play smartly, he’s going to flip 36 in November. How a lot self belief do you may have in any quarterback no longer named Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or John Elway profitable a Super Bowl at that age?
And do you assume the Steelers are in point of fact just a quarterback clear of a championship?
Now, that doesn’t imply that is the incorrect choice. Given how Pickett has performed, his loss of building in his 2nd season and the crew’s obtrusive loss of religion in Rudolph, this can be a no-brainer signing — a no brainer with penalties.
It’s all about what you worth.
Would you fairly have a possibility to be extra aggressive with a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback at the again finish of his profession? Or give the twentieth pick out within the 2022 draft — a man the Steelers spoke glowingly of for the easier a part of 18 months — yet another yr with a reliable coordinator and a brand new place trainer?
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If you are saying attempt to win now and the hell with the results, the solution is Wilson.
If you are saying you aren’t fascinated about a turntable of conceivable quarterbacks of the long run, the solution is Pickett, or whomever they could herald or draft subsequent yr. The best-case state of affairs is drafting a quarterback in 2025 and growing him, which might deliver you to a minimum of 2027 ahead of you’d know if in case you have your quarterback of the long run.
You can care for 2027 and even later if Wilson leads the Steelers to a championship. But, significantly, what are the chances of that taking place?
They must be excessive.
Many issues need to fall the Steelers’ approach — past Wilson enjoying smartly — for them to win a Super Bowl this season. Just have a look at the AFC, with Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert and, oh yeah, Patrick Mahomes to care for.
Rudolph will most likely signal somewhere else, and make no mistake about it, Pickett’s profession as a Pittsburgh Steeler is all however over. The Steelers need to make a decision on Pickett’s fifth-year choice subsequent May. I guess a colossal Wilson failure coupled with a late-season Pickett push may alternate the teen’s trajectory, however that’s asking so much.
Wilson’s signing used to be as a lot about his play because it used to be about his wage.
You don’t regularly get a $40 million quarterback for $1.21 million, so it’s comprehensible why the Steelers performed coy about Wilson till the inside track of his approaching liberate changed into reliable, and he used to be authorised to barter with different groups ahead of his liberate.
Call it what it’s — a calculated gamble … a calculated gamble that alienated two quarterbacks within the procedure.
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Losing Pickett doesn’t seem to be a large deal at this time, but it surely may well be.
He wasn’t given a lot of a possibility all through his rookie season, taking just about all third-team reps till proper ahead of the season. He used to be then thrown into the sport 14 quarters into his profession, with Matt Canada as his offensive coordinator and a directive from above to dumb down the offense. Pickett’s relative good fortune in that atmosphere used to be a surprise.
Last season used to be a complete crisis the day after the preseason ended, and you’ll’t lend a hand however assume that Canada had so much to do with that. If his offense wasn’t suited to a Hall of Famer like Ben Roethlisberger, then how may Pickett prevail?
Pickett couldn’t, and he didn’t. I am getting it, I do.
But that used to be all meant to modify this yr with Arthur Smith operating the offense and Tom Arth bringing the information he handed onto Herbert with the Chargers.
Now, that gained’t occur. When you call to mind Pickett, there’ll at all times be a, “What if?”
What if the Steelers didn’t retain Canada after the 2022 season? What if Pickett were given a 3rd yr to expand? Those questions won’t ever be spoke back now.
All Wilson’s signing will do is be certain a revolving door at quarterback, for ever and ever.
The handiest factor that may make this profitable is profitable a Super Bowl, as a result of when the Steelers made up our minds to signal Wilson, they ensured they gained’t have a strong quarterback place for future years.
If you’re OK with the ones penalties then, Let’s Ride … or will have to I say #HereWeGo?
(Photo: Harry How / Getty Images)
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