The Pittsburgh Steelers could be getting a big addition at quarterback this offseason. At least that’s what one of their former rivals said that he’s hearing.
Former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson said that he had been told Russell Wilson would leave the Denver Broncos to join the Steelers.
“We gotta work on the Steelers now,” Johnson said on the February 20 episode of DraftKings’ “Nightcap” podcast. “A little birdie told me — and I said this many shows ago — Russell Wilson’s coming on over to the Steelers.”
Wilson, 35, is expected to be released by the Broncos in March, before his 2024 contract becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the new league year, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported in December.
How Russell Wilson Would Fit With Steelers
The Steelers haven’t committed to bringing in a new starting quarterback, saying in January that Kenny Pickett would enter 2024 as the starter.
Johnson isn’t the only one suggesting Russell is a candidate to sign with Pittsburgh, though.
“Russell Wilson for Arthur Smith would be the best fit,” former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jeff Saturday said February 1 on ESPN’s “Get Up,” referring to Smith, the Steelers’ new offensive coordinator. “He wants to play under center. He wants play action. He’s a veteran quarterback, all the different things. … I know people hate him; dude wins a bunch of freaking games.”
However, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers are “not interested in bringing in a quarterback who wants to be a starter.”
“That would include Justin Fields and Kirk Cousins, and probably even Russell Wilson, who has a connection with the Steelers,” Dulac wrote in a story published February 17.
Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowler, but he hasn’t performed at that level since the 2021 season with the Seattle Seahawks. He still showed signs he can be a dependable starter with his completion percentage of 66.4% and a touchdown-to-interception ratio better than 3:1 in 2023.
If the Steelers could get him one a one-year deal, he would give them a chance to let Pickett to develop on the bench before the team gives him a chance to prove he should be their starter. In 2024, Wilson likely would give Pittsburgh a better chance to end their playoff losing streak than they’d have with Pickett under center.
Time for Broncos to Move On
When the Broncos traded for Wilson in 2022, it was supposed to get them back into Super Bowl contention after years of suffering through bad quarterback play. They even gave him a huge extension before he took a snap in Denver.
The move didn’t work out. The team went 5-12 in 2022 and fired Nathaniel Hackett before he finished his first season as their head coach.
Things got better in the second year with Wilson. The Broncos won eight games, but ended up benching the quarterback with two games left in the season.
That move seemed to indicate that the team is ready to move on from Wilson and now could be the right time for them to move on at quarterback.
The Broncos didn’t seem to have a plan at the position when they benched Wilson, but they might actually be able to position themselves to get their next QB.
It seems unlikely that they’ll be able to move up in the draft and get any of the top three prospects at the position, but there is a fourth option that has recently seemed to separate him from the rest of the first round crop of QBs.
The Broncos could land J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 draft to be their franchise QB. They might have to move ahead of the Vikings to get him, but he could be the answer they’re looking for at the position.
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Chad Johnson Says He Was Told 9-Time Pro Bowl QB Is Going to the Steelers