The Steelers' free agency period got off to an early start, coming to terms Sunday night with nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson. The move obviously bolsters the team's quarterback room, and it comes at almost no cost as Wilson agreed to a one-year, $1.2-million contract.
Wilson comes to Pittsburgh with a storied 12-year career that will one day earn consideration for the Hall of Fame. Wilson currently ranks 19th all time in passing yards, 13th all time in passing touchdowns and fourth all time in passer rating. And, he's also got a Super Bowl ring to boast.
All of that said, at 35 years old, Wilson's best days are behind him. Nevertheless, he still completed 66.4% of his passes for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions, good enough for a 98.0 passer rating in 15 starts for the Broncos last season. In terms of on-field ability, Wilson's got more than enough left in the tank.
However, there's no denying the fact that Wilson's time in Denver was ... well documented. No matter who thinks who was at fault for the turmoil that played out in Denver, including Wilson being benched near the end of the season and numerous reports of him essentially being a terrible teammate and selfish player, the Broncos were willing to eat $85 million in dead money to make him go away (which is why Wilson is signing such a cheap deal). That's more than enough reason for Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin, Art Rooney II and pretty much every single soul on the South Side that helps make decisions do their homework on the guy.
According to multiple reports, Wilson's meeting with the Steelers on Friday went quite well, lasting for more than six hours. During that time, he met with Steelers officials, including Tomlin and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Obviously, the Steelers don't have any concerns about Wilson's character. Otherwise, this signing wouldn't have happened.
The question now is how this impacts Kenny Pickett's future with the Steelers. In multiple conversations with team sources leading up to free agency, the Steelers had no intention of signing a quarterback to automatically supplant Pickett. Rather, any quarterback signed would be brought in to compete with Pickett. The Steelers began the offseason with every intention of giving Pickett a chance to take a significant step forward in his third season. Even as recent as Combine week, Khan told the media in Indianapolis, "we all know there's going to be competition in the room."
But, Khan also has a job to do. He has to make sure that there's a contingency plan in 2024 should Pickett fail. Remember, this team is out to win every single year. A quarterback such as Wilson has more than enough left in the tank to put pressure on Pickett. After two seasons in which some people thought there was some sort of competition in training camp between Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph when there wasn't one, this move signals an actual competition.
Wilson's more than capable of doing more than just holding a clipboard on Sundays, and he comes with a much higher pedigree than Rudolph, Ryan Tannehill or any other quarterback that was tied to Steelers rumors. Pickett is now under the most amount of pressure to perform. His career is literally on the line now, especially with the Steelers having to make a decision on his fifth-year option next spring. And, Wilson has something to prove. He'd love nothing more than to show what happened in Denver wasn't because of him.
Wilson's deal won't become official until the start of the league's new year, which is set for Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. But, it will be very interesting to see what Tomlin, Khan or any others have to say regarding this situation. Maybe things have changed. Maybe they view Wilson as the bonafide No. 1 quarterback. Clarity will surely come in a few days.
I'll have much more on Wilson coming to Pittsburgh in this week's Chalk Talk. I'll dive deep into the Xs and Os on how he might fit in the Steelers' offense.
