On March 11, 2024, Russell Wilson, who was recently the QB for the Denver Broncos, was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Russell Wilson Goes to the Steel City
Sources: Former #Broncos QB Russell Wilson plans to sign with the #Steelers when the league year begins.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2024
He recently visited PIT, along with the #Giants. With Denver paying most of the $39M this season, it’s a cheap starting QB option to compete with Kenny Pickett. pic.twitter.com/vK66joBbw5
According to Ian Rappaport, Wilson recently visited Pittsburgh, along with the NY Giants. Wilson plans to sign with the Steelers when the season starts.
With the Broncos paying a disbursement of $39 million this season, it’s a cheap option to compete with current QB Kenny Pickett.
In signing Russell Wilson, the Steelers are surveying their evaluation of Pickett, according to Brooke Pryor. They suggest he is on much more tenuous footing than publicly expressed.
The move also points to a belief that the Steelers are in a win-now mode and believe they’re a quarterback away from erasing a drought of playoff wins, looking back to 2016.
Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh: What About Kenny?
According to Pryor, in a move that defines the Steelers’ traditional team-building methods and seemingly spurns a foundational tenet of loyalty, Khan’s actions Sunday night spoke louder than his words from less than two weeks ago. It is a shocking turn of events after trusting Pickett as the starting QB for his team.
The Steelers have to make a unanimous decision on Pickett’s fifth-year option in May 2025. In the same article, Pryor mentioned, “If Wilson does land the starting job, evaluating Pickett and his abilities outside of a Matt Canada offense becomes that much harder.”
If Pickett doesn’t get significant playing time this season, picking up that option, starting at $22 million for quarterbacks this season, would be financially irresponsible.
Questions Remaining With Russell Wilson
According to Pryor from the aforementioned article, she asked the following, “Does that mean the Steelers would be back in the market for a quarterback in the 2025 draft? Or maybe in 2026, after Pickett—or even Wilson—plays a final season?”
The best option for Pittsburgh was re-signing longtime backup and late-season starter Mason Rudolph to compete with Pickett. In this case, the scales are slightly tipped in Pickett’s favor.
Russell Wilson signing shuts the door on Rudolph’s return, and according to a league source, he is expected to test free agency.
About The Author
Samuel has always loved sports. He has written for the Wingate Triangle at Wingate University. Rodriguez got a BS in Communications with a Sports Media Emphasis. He is also pursuing a Cybersecurity Operations Certificate at Fayetteville Technical Community College.
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