The Pittsburgh Steelers made a surprising decision this offseason to revamp their quarterback room. This began with signing former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal at the veteran minimum. The Steelers were able to acquire the former Super Bowl champion at such a low price because the Broncos were so eager to move on from him that they were willing to pay millions just to get him off their roster.
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Former Broncos QB Russell Wilson talking with HC Sean Payton.
Wilson joined the Broncos after a highly successful tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, where he won a Super Bowl and made nine Pro Bowls. Following his time in Seattle, Wilson signed a five-year, $242 million deal with the Broncos, with high expectations to lead them to Super Bowl contention. However, in his two seasons with the team, the Broncos managed to win just 11 games under his leadership.
On Monday, Pro Football Focus (PFF) revealed some concerning statistics about Wilson, highlighting his tendency to rely on checkdown passes. While checkdowns can be a safe option to avoid losing yards when no receivers are open downfield, over-reliance on them can stall an offense and hinder its effectiveness.
According to PFF, Wilson had the highest checkdown percentage among all quarterbacks during his two seasons with the Broncos, at 10.19%. For context, Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow also appeared high on this list, ranking third with an 8.90% checkdown rate. Burrow's reliance on checkdowns can be attributed to his struggles with a poor offensive line over the past two seasons. Former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett also had one of the highest checkdown rates in the league, at 8.43%.
PFF provided analysis on the surprising statistic regarding Wilson's checkdown rate. They noted that his rate had doubled during his time in Denver.
"A fresh start with a new franchise can net a wide array of results, but the outcome of Russell Wilson’s move to Denver was shocking, to say the least. Wilson is the only quarterback in the league who exceeded a 10%-plus checkdown rate from 2022 to 2023. It was a far cry from his aggressive approach in Seattle, where he generated just a 5.8% checkdown rate through the 2020 and 2021 seasons."
PFF also provided more details on Wilson's checkdown rate, revealing that he checked the ball down 10.10% of the time on third down. On third down, checkdowns are generally undesirable as they often forfeit the opportunity to move the chains, with quarterbacks typically expected to throw past the first-down marker. However, it's crucial that they avoid making reckless decisions.
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Sean Payton and quarterback Russell Wilson on the sidelines during a Denver Broncos' game.
Further analysis of PFF's stats shows that many quarterbacks under Nathaniel Hackett's coaching made this list. In fact, five of the six quarterbacks Hackett has coached over the past two seasons were among the top checkdown rates. This context may help explain Wilson's high rate, but it also sheds light on why Sean Payton might have been frustrated with Wilson.
Steelers' Russell Wilson Was Never Comfortable In Denver
During his time in Denver, it became clear that Wilson wasn't comfortable with the system Payton was running. In Pittsburgh, Wilson will be in a more familiar system under new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, who emphasizes play-action and a ground-and-pound running game—the same style in which Wilson won a Super Bowl.
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Steelers OC Arthur Smith laughing with RB Derrick Henry during a game.
If Wilson can find his comfort zone, even at this stage in his career, he has the potential to significantly impact the Steelers in 2024. Despite his struggles in the 2023 season, Wilson still managed to pass for 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That kind of production would have been a boon for the Steelers last year. If he can bring that level of performance to Pittsburgh in 2024, Wilson will have the Steelers operating at a high level.
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