The Pittsburgh Steelers could spend a whole lot of money on Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson next season.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin projected the Steelers would sign Wilson, 35, to a three-year, $90 million after what Benjamin called his “inevitable release” by the Broncos. Wilson was benched for the final two games of the 2023 season, leading to speculation that he would not be with Denver next year.
“Coach Mike Tomlin has stood by 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett through two ugly, injury-riddled seasons, but after an especially sloppy 2023 season … it might finally be time for a bigger-name swing under center,” Benjamin wrote in a story published December 29.
Russell Wilson Could Be Worth the Risk for the Steelers
Wilson could be a good fit for the Steelers, who are in a “bit of quarterback conundrum,” according to USA Today. Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky have all gotten starts for the 9-7 Steelers this year but none has stood out.
“The team hasn’t gotten consistent play from 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett, but it’s technically too early to give up on his potential,” Cory Woodroof wrote in a story published December 27. “The team doesn’t have a long-term starter outside of Pickett on the roster, so you could see Wilson signing with Pittsburgh and giving the team a stopgap veteran starter while they continue to develop Pickett on the side.”
When Wilson was in Seattle, the expectation was to “let Russ cook.” The Steelers don’t need a QB who’s going to cook; they need somebody who is a net positive and can manage a game.
Wilson can still be that guy at this point in his career. With the Broncos, he threw for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns against 8 interceptions in 15 games with a 66.4% completion rate, which was just above his career average.
Pickett, the Steelers’ first-round draft pick in 2022, meanwhile, had a 62% completion rate in 12 games in 2023, throwing for only 6 touchdowns against 4 interceptions.
With wide receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens and tight end Pat Friermuth, Wilson would have a better supporting than what he had during his two seasons in Denver.
And the Steelers have allowed 14 14 fewer sacks this season than the Broncos.
Disappointment in Denver in Wilson’s 2 Years There
When the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson in 2022, they did so in the hopes that he would turn them back into a contender after years of brutal quarterback play and they paid accordingly.
The Broncos gave up a pair of first-rounders, two second-rounders, a fifth-rounder and multiple players to get Wilson from the Seahawks, and then they gave him an extension worth $245 million over 5 years.
Results haven’t followed. Wilson had his worst statistical year in 2022 when the Broncos went 5-12. He bounced back in 2023, keeping the Broncos in the playoff hunt until Week 16.
“The former Seahawks star was always going to need an MVP-caliber resurgence to win new coach Sean Payton’s approval as the highly paid face of the franchise,” Benjamin wrote in his January 4 projection. “He wasn’t bad in 2023, but his numbers also masked a general streakiness and sluggishness running the Broncos offense — all the way up to his polarizing Week 17 demotion, which effectively signaled the end of his short-lived Denver career.”
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Steelers Projected to Spend $90 Million on Former All-Pro QB