Steelers to meet with Russell Wilson, but is he the QB we've been waiting for?

Reports have surfaced that the Steelers are meeting with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson ahead of his release from the Broncos. This has sent the fanbase into a tissy, as some seem to think that Wilson puts this team in a great spot to succeed while others are completely against the move. If he is signed, it will surely be a controversial move according to the fans.

I’m not completely shocked by this news. I had Wilson as one of my quarterbacks which makes sense for this team, even if he was lower on that list. While his first season in Denver was bad, he settled down last year and played well for the most part. Denver as a whole wasn’t a great team, but Wilson wasn’t the dumpster fire many claim that he was.

Should the Steelers sign Russell Wilson?

Assuming these rumors are true, I really can’t hate on this move assuming a few things. The most important is what his contract will look like. With so much money still coming in from the Broncos due to the extension he signed with them, many are speculating that he will play at or close to the veteran minimum.

The issue is, that is pure speculation, and the quarterback market is a notoriously expensive one. While I’m not confident that he would play for the minimum, I think this is a good move if the team can sign him for less than five million dollars. Realistically, that would be the cost associated with bringing back a Mason Rudolph or a Ryan Tannehill, so if you were to get a better player at the same cost you wouldn’t hear me complain.

You also get the benefit (albeit a minor one) of Wilson not counting toward the compensatory formula. While nice on paper, it seems more than likely that Pittsburgh won’t be in a spot to get any picks anyway, as they aren’t to lose anyone notable.

As a player, I think Wilson gives this team the best chance to win this season of the realistic names that could be brought in. Kenny Pickett has been bad, and while I am fine letting him start again next season, I would also expect him to finally sink and the team to move on in 2024. Rudolph and Tannehill would be similar stories.

This is a playoff team if they get the Russell Wilson of last year. He wasn’t dynamic, but he was safer with the football and would work in an offense featuring a better offensive line than what he had in Denver and a better running game. At his age, he may not be the sole game-winner anymore, but his consistent play mixed in with a dependable ground game can win some games.

My only issue with a potential deal, outside of the cost, is what is the point? You will likely sign Wilson for one year, and even if he gets this team to the playoffs, you don’t have a long-term solution at quarterback, and a good season only delays finding that guy.

If the team sniffs the Super Bowl, this will be a different story, but unless Wilson looks like his 2020 version, I don’t see that happening. Instead, I would guess that we win enough games to get into the playoffs, maybe we win in the Wild Card round but get bounced shortly after that.

Winning that much also gives you a later draft pick which makes landing an elite quarterback prospect that much harder. Rinse and repeat.

Again, if you can get him on a deal worth less than five million, I can’t fault the signing. Even if this delays getting the next face of the franchise, I’m not going to be upset that the Steelers are getting better value for their money. This is a move that makes a lot of sense for both sides, and I will be monitoring this situation closely.