Let’s ride.
That can be the only correct response to the Steelers’ decision to sign Russell Wilson on a one-year deal overnight. There is no other correct response, actually, because it is a fabulous deal for the Steelers regardless of how it turns out.
Wilson is exactly the kind of low-risk (actually no-risk, in this case) high-reward signing that a team in the Steelers’ predicament makes when they are trying to become a legitimate playoff contender in a given year.
That’s what Wilson represents for the Steelers and nothing more.
If he is good — and remember last year he did throw for 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions on a bad team — and gives the Steelers the kind of upgrade at quarterback they are looking for, they will suddenly have a chance to compete with and beat the best teams in the AFC when it counts. If he is bad — and there is a chance he might be — the Steelers can quickly move on from him and it costs them almost nothing.
That’s the beauty of this deal for the Steelers, as they get a player who is obviously nearing the end of his career but still with something left in the tank for $1.2 million and no obligation beyond this year. They didn’t have to trade draft picks to get him, they didn’t have to trade players to get him, and they didn’t have to commit any money or extra years to get him.
It is the best-case scenario out of all the ridiculous ideas we heard thrown around this offseason.
Justin Fields would have cost draft picks and a decision about next year for a lot of money. Baker Mayfield would have been a good option, but he would have cost a lot of money and a longer-term deal. Kirk Cousins is old and coming off a major injury and would have cost a lot of money and probably isn’t interested in a one-year deal.
Those quarterbacks, along with Wilson, were the ones the Steelers were most closely associated with and none of them, other than Wilson, made any sense. They all have flaws and question marks and only one, Wilson, came with almost no strings attached.
The Steelers now have him and will see what he has left in the tank, and that’s a big question to be sure. I happen to think Wilson can still be an effective quarterback and still throws as pretty of a pass as any in the NFL. He is not quite as effective as a runner as he used to be, but he is still pretty mobile and is still capable of throwing on the run when plays break down.
And the other thing is that the Steelers aren’t asking him to come in and throw for 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns. They have a system that will be set up for Wilson to succeed, as it will be predicated on running the ball with authority, playing in big packages and asking the quarterback to make a lot of throws out of play-action.
It is the kind of system where a quarterback isn’t asked to do nearly as much as in some places, and that’s why a veteran who still throws the ball accurately and on time is a perfect fit.
And in the off chance that Kenny Pickett either beats out Wilson in the preseason or Wilson falters and Pickett takes over, fine, the Steelers will have a backup who costs them about a sixth of what it cost them to have Mitch Trubisky in that spot last season.
The larger part of the equation is now the Steelers quarterback room with Pickett and Wilson will cost a total of about $5 million, which is peanuts in today’s NFL. The Steelers have plenty of cap space available to bolster their defense by adding a corner and safety and maybe even a defensive lineman or inside linebacker. They can also go get a wide receiver on the market or sign a center.
It isn’t inconceivable that the Steelers will make their roster around the quarterback clearly better than last season, a season they did make the playoffs, and if Wilson or an improved Pickett makes the quarterback position clearly better, too, the plan to get back to contention will have worked the way it is supposed to.
I don’t know if Wilson is going to work out, but I am glad the Steelers were willing to take a shot at him. It is clear to me that with Omar Khan and Andy Weidl running things, they are becoming a far more forward-thinking, modern-day NFL organization, and that is great news for the future.
Wilson does come with some quirks in his personality, but the bottom line is the only thing that should matter is whether or not he can help the Steelers win football games. I think he can, but if he can’t, they took a shot and risked nothing. And that’s the essence of good roster management.
Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com or Twitter: @paulzeise
First Published: March 11, 2024, 4:21 p.m.
Updated: March 11, 2024, 8:09 p.m.
