Steelers Projected To Spend $90 Million On Former All-Pro QB.
The Pittsburgh Steelers might spend a whole lot of money on Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson next season.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Steelers’ QB situation has turned into one of the NFL’s most compelling tales.
After months of lackluster play at the position, Mason Rudolph earned a chance to start for the first time since the middle of the 2021 season. He has made the most of the opportunity.
He has guided the Steelers to two consecutive wins, keeping their postseason chances alive and earning himself the right to continue to start despite the return of Kenny Pickett.
While Rudolph will start for the team in Week 18 and likely into the playoffs if the team makes it there, the position still remains a significant question mark for the 2024 season.
There has been plenty of chatter recently regarding the Steelers making a move at the position in the summer to add some continuity to the offense.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin not only believes that the Steelers will make a move for a QB, but that they’ll throw a lot of money around to accomplish it.
In a January 4th article, he projected the Steelers to give Wilson a three year, $90 million deal if he is released by Denver.
When the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson, they did it in the hopes that he would convert them back into a contender after years of horrific quarterback play and they paid appropriately.
The Broncos handed up a pair of first rounders, two second rounders, a fifth rounder, and multiple players to get Wilson from the Seahawks and then gave him an extension for $245 million over 5 years.
Results haven’t followed. The Broncos were dreadful last year, winning just five games. However, Wilson managed to evade much of the responsibility for it as the team sacked Nathaniel Hackett in the middle of his first season as the team’s head coach.
This season, the results have improved. The Broncos had won eight games and were genuinely in the postseason hunt until a couple of weeks ago.
His numbers also improved, but not nearly enough to reflect the big investment Denver made on him.
Now he has been benched by the organization and is anticipated to be let go in the offseason.
Russell Wilson Could Still Be Worth The Risk For Steelers
While the outcomes in Denver haven’t been what the Broncos had been looking for, he could possibly be a fantastic fit for the Steelers.
When Wilson in Seattle, everybody wanted the Seahawks to “let Russ cook”. That didn’t actually happen in Seattle, but he was pretty successful when they weren’t letting him cook.
The Steelers don’t need a QB that’s going to cook. The team has been able to put together winning seasons the last two years with QBs that could barely make toast.
What they need somebody who is a net positive at the position and can control the game.
Wilson can still be that man at this point in his career.
This season, he threw for 3070 yards and 26 TDs in 15 games while also completing 66.4 % of his throws.
Those numbers would be a really solid improvement over Pickett and Wilson has done it with an inferior supporting cast.
Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth are more trustworthy choices than the targets Wilson has with the Broncos.
The Steelers have allowed 14 less sacks this season than the Broncos. The Steelers more reliably lean on their run game than the Broncos have.
The Steelers have also been better defensively.
In Pittsburgh, Wilson might end up having a similar role to the one he played with the Seahawks when they were at their greatest.
Some Steelers supporters might not like the thought of signing Wilson because of the way things have played out in Denver and there are undoubtedly risks involved.
However, signing Wilson may be a decision that pays off in Pittsburgh, especially if they could actually get the deal down to two years.
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