With Russell Wilson out of the picture in Denver, is the quarterback-starved Pittsburgh team his next stop?
Russell Wilson has had an unsatisfactory few years in his football career. Wilson ended his tenure in Seattle with a whimper, despite having a Hall of Fame career there. While he wasn’t bad, some, like former head coach Pete Carroll, could already see the decline.
After just two inconsistent seasons, the Seahawks sent Wilson to Denver, and now they’re prepared to move on.
We’re now hearing that, should the Broncos cut their links to the nine-time Pro Bowler, the Pittsburgh Steelers might be a good alternative.
It is evident that Wilson is out of time and has alternatives after watching this video of him attempting to convince the Steelers to use his services.
But in all honesty, this might be Wilson’s final chance to start in the NFL. Compared to Pittsburgh’s current quarterbacks, he’s probably still a superior option.
However, how much of an impact does Russ have on the AFC North title and a deep postseason run?
In order to better understand this, consider that Patrick Mahomes had just finished his collegiate football career the last time the Steelers had won a playoff game.
Under Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh has been in the running for the AFC playoffs and has never had a losing season, but they haven’t had any postseason success in seven years.
Wilson thus carries some danger, even if he can look like a solution. Since 2020, when he was in Seattle, Russ has not guided a team to the postseason.
Wilson’s second year in Denver was undoubtedly better than his first, but even so, he’s obviously changed as a quarterback in the intervening five years.
There will be tension building leading into the 2024 campaign when you combine it with all the rumors that Tomlin is under investigation. Wilson’s involvement merely makes that worse.
There would be an expectation that he gives the Steelers offense a little bit more than Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph, even though he might not be the same Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback.
Although it might be true on paper, Wilson needs to demonstrate it on the field. Furthermore, Tomlin’s next decision at quarterback will be the most significant of his career because he seems to be losing respect in Pittsburgh every day.
Given that this is Tomlin’s final journey, is Wilson truly the person you want in command of the ship?
Wilson should be encouraged, though, since if this latest endeavor fails, it might be his last time serving as a starting quarterback.
Even at 35 years old, Russ hasn’t exactly aged well on the field. Tom Brady could play for ten more years from now, according to some, but not everyone can.
Wilson appeared to be returning to his previous level of performance last year, but the true test will be if he can sustain that for three to five more years.
