The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big decision to make at quarterback.
They selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the NFL Draft two years ago, and he impressed throughout his rookie season.
However, Pickett looked to deteriorate in 2023, when an injury forced the Steelers to start Mitch Trubisky before benching him in favor of Mason Rudolph.
When Pickett returned to health at the end of the season, Mike Tomlin decided to keep Rudolph as the starter.
There is still optimism that Pickett will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ future franchise quarterback, but it appears that the team needs to make a significant move and bring in a proven veteran who can assist the former Pitt Panther signal caller grow and develop as an NFL passer.
In his news conference at the end of the 2023 season, head coach Mike Tomlin stated that he feels the 2024 starter is already on the team. But can the Steelers afford to expect that Pickett will figure it out in time to prosper in 2024?
Steelers reporter Mark Madden recently projected that the Steelers would not only keep Kenny Pickett, but also not re-sign Mason Rudolph to protect the rookie quarterback in his third season.
It’s unknown what the Pittsburgh Steelers’ brass has planned for the NFL’s most important position in 2024, but there are plenty of candidates who might help a good club win now while also enabling the young quarterback they anticipated would be their franchise guy develop in the meantime.
There will be options for acquiring a new quarterback.
Kirk Cousins will become a free agent. Baker Mayfield will become a free agent. Wilson could be available in a trade or if he is released. Justin Fields is also anticipated to get moved.
With so many choices available, it makes sense for the team to at least explore upgrading at quarterback.
Pittsburgh Steelers Named Top Landing Spot for Russell Wilson
Following the fallout with Sean Payton, Russell Wilson appears to have some alternatives concerning where he will play next season. One of these is Pittsburgh.
The Denver Broncos benched Wilson for the final two weeks of the 2023 season, possibly indicating the end of his tenure with the franchise. Meanwhile, the Steelers were one of many teams in the league whose quarterback situation did not go as planned this season.
One NFL analyst believes that the two could be a good combination.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes the Pittsburgh Steelers are the greatest landing spot for the former All-Pro quarterback.
Ballentine believes the Steelers would offer Wilson the starting opportunity he needs at this time in his career, while also fitting what Pittsburgh is looking for in a quarterback to transform their offense in 2024.
Wilson has failed in his two seasons with the Broncos, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be successful in Pittsburgh.
During his season-ending news conference, Tomlin stated that he hopes to see a more dynamic offense next season than the team had in 2023.
While we shouldn’t expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to get the same Russell Wilson who dominated for years in Seattle with his ability to extend plays outside the pocket, scramble for big gains, and hit receivers deep downfield in stride, the new offensive coordinator could take a similar approach to how the Lions revitalized Jared Goff’s career.
The team’s strategy with Wilson should be very similar to that with Pickett.
Pittsburgh will still likely prioritize their run game on offense, as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combined for over 1800 running yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023.
While there are a lot of moving elements to work out between now and when the Steelers may make a play for a quarterback, Russell Wilson makes a lot of sense.
