Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers got pretty big news on Thursday that the team is planning to meet with free agent quarterback Russell Wilson, and the Super Bowl-winning quarterback is interested in joining the franchise. The Steelers only have Kenny Pickett under contract for 2024 and have committed to bringing in strong competition for the University of Pittsburgh product as he enters his third year in the NFL. Wilson would be the strongest competitor Pickett has had to the starting job in Pittsburgh, but Rich Eisen believes it would be a legitimate competition.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A6972-544x306.jpg "Steelers Kenny Pickett")
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Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett competes in the 2023 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers said there was going to be a competition for the starting job between Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky in 2022. In reality, Trubisky was given the best chance to win the job, with a majority of the first-team reps through training camp and preseason. The former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills quarterback was named the Week 1 starter.
Eisen said on his show Thursday after the Wilson news broke that he expects a real quarterback competition in camp, as opposed to, the farcical one in Pickett's rookie season. The long-time respected voice in the NFL media thinks the organization still has too much faith in Pickett to throw him by the wayside after two up-and-down seasons, where Pickett was hamstrung with Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada and dealt with multiple injuries.
"They like Kenny Pickett," he said. "I'm going to keep warning everybody, but enough to give him very little competition, nah uh. If they bring in Russ, there will be a competition and they might even add a third."
Eisen mentioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback situation before the 2023 season where they seemingly held a quarterback competition between Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield. Like Pittsburgh in 2022, the favorite choice to be the starting quarterback, Mayfield, was given a longer leash and won the job. Eisen doesn't see that happening in Pittsburgh.
"If they start Kenny Pickett, Russ is going to be holding a clipboard, or even worse, cut," he said. "It's not going to cost them anything to cut him."
As Eisen illustrated, the Steelers or any other team that signs Wilson will likely get him at or close to the league minimum as the Denver Broncos are basically on the hook for his 2024 salary. He added that if Wilson is intent on sticking it to the team that cut him, he will take as little money as possible to keep his money on their books.
Jack Dempsey / AP Photo
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before an NFL preseason football game against the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.
Eisen wondered if Wilson wanted to go to a team where he'd compete for the starting job. In looking at the landscape of teams that need quarterbacks, Eisen thought Pittsburgh would be the best fit. He cited that the organization has a stable coaching situation, a strong offensive coordinator that fits with Wilson's skills and a great group of playmakers on the offensive side.
Steelers Two Big Reasons To Be In On Wilson
Despite somewhat of a resurgence during the 2023 season for Wilson under Sean Payton, the 12-year veteran will be looking to get his career back on track. The Broncos' dysfunction in 2022 is well documented and Wilson throwing 11 interceptions to 16 touchdowns while being the most sacked quarterback in the league didn't help the cause. With Payton, he rebounded for 26 touchdowns to only eight interceptions before he was benched. Eisen thinks the drive Wilson has to prove he's still someone who can lead a franchise to a Super Bowl will be significant.
Ron Chenoy / USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Russell Wilson raises his arms in the air during a game as a Denver Bronco.
The second factor Eisen cited in why Pittsburgh should be interested in Wilson is the price. As mentioned earlier, the Broncos will be on the hook for his salary minus what a team signs him for. There's little financial risk to a team that wants to see what Wilson has left in the tank.
Pittsburgh needs to find out whether Pickett can be the answer at quarterback in 2024 because a decision on his fifth-year option will come after the season. With TJ Watt and Cameron Heyward not getting any younger the team also can't afford not to be competitive, bringing in Wilson could be the ultimate security blanket.
Do you agree with Eisen that Wilson wouldn't come to Pittsburgh as a clear-cut starter? Do you think the Steelers will have a real quarterback competition in the 2024 offseason? Comment below!
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