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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH — Standing in front of a small group of reporters on the second floor of an Indianapolis hotel during the 2024 NFL Combine, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan said he was “all in” against quarterback Kenny Pickett. expressed “confidence”.
Ten days later, just before midnight, Russell Wilson posted a video montage of Steelers fans waving Terrible towels set to the Styx's “Renegade,” tagging the Steelers on his social media platforms, and announcing Sunday's A league official confirmed what ESPN's Adam Schefter told him that night. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback and nine-time Pro Bowler will soon sign a team-friendly one-year contract with the Steelers.
In a move that seemed to defy the Steelers' traditional team-building methods and ignore a fundamental tenet of loyalty, Khan's actions Sunday night spoke louder than his words less than two weeks ago. Met.
Steelers leaders have repeatedly said they want competition for the team's 2022 first-round pick, but the Super Bowl-winning quarterback is backing Pickett, even if he is past his prime. He is more than just a camper. Of course, Pickett is still under contract, but the competition to keep his starting spot has gotten that much stronger and may not even be a competition at all.
In signing the 35-year-old Wilson, the Steelers telegraphed their evaluation of Pickett, suggesting they are in a much more precarious position than has been publicly expressed. This move also indicates another internal belief. The Steelers are in win-now mode and believe they are within QB of breaking a playoff win drought dating back to 2016.
From Wilson's perspective, this move makes perfect sense. In Pittsburgh, Wilson has a clear path to a starting job in an organization with a rich winning tradition and an established structure under a future Hall of Fame head coach. In general, Wilson's skill set and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's tendencies have the potential to be a match made in football heaven.
In his final season in Denver, Wilson had a QBR of 80 with play-action, compared to a QBR of 40 without play-action. He threw 11 touchdowns against one play-action interception and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt. Without play-action, Wilson threw 15 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and averaged 6.7 yards per attempt.
During his three-year tenure in Atlanta, Smith's offense used play-action at the second-highest rate (32%). And at Tennessee, Smith adopted a similar philosophy, building a balanced offense thanks to a formidable ground game centered around Derrick Henry and a complementary passing game.
Although he was criticized for his decision-making and struggles in his first season in Denver, Wilson showed dramatic improvement in his second season before his release. Wilson had 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2022, which improved to 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2023. No Steelers quarterback has thrown for 26 touchdowns in a season since Ben Roethlisberger threw 33 in 2020.
For all his improvement in 2023, Wilson still had issues holding onto the ball too long. His average pitch time (3.06 seconds) was second in the league behind Justin Fields, and the Steelers struggled in pass protection last season, ranking 17th in pass block win percentage. That means adding another first-round offensive tackle to go with 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones in April's draft is that much more important.
In short-term football terms, adding Wilson will improve the Steelers' offense. But in the long run, his signing raises more questions than it provides answers.
With a $1.2 million contract, Wilson makes good financial sense. In his short tenure as general manager, Kern has made many moves, trades and bargains for short-term solutions, including the acquisitions of cornerback Patrick Peterson, receiver Allen Robinson and linebacker Kwon Alexander. It quickly built a reputation for finding. Considering the veteran's minimum salary, Wilson fits the bill perfectly to be signed by Kern.
And while Wilson expressed a desire to win two more Super Bowls in a recent podcast interview, realistically there are more days left than there are at hand. Wilson is not a long-term solution, and his addition to the Steelers' quarterback room would disrupt the already uncertain future of the position.
The Steelers must make a decision on Pickett's fifth-year option in May 2025. If Wilson does indeed earn the starting job, it will be even harder to evaluate Pickett and his abilities outside of Matt Canada's offense. And if Pickett doesn't get significant playing time this year, picking up that option (prices start at $22 million for quarterbacks this season) would be financially irresponsible. Does that mean the Steelers will be back in the market for a quarterback in the 2025 draft? Or will it be in 2026, after Pickett or Wilson plays his final season?
In the past, the safe options were the most anticipated. For real competition with Pickett, re-sign long-time backup and late-season starter Mason Rudolph. Maybe the scales will tip slightly in Pickett's favor. Instead, the deal with Wilson all but completes Rudolph's return, and league officials say he plans to test free agency.
Typically, they approach free agency conservatively, prioritizing development through the draft, but the Steelers are ignoring tradition in hopes of making a stopgap deal. It could be the first step to breaking out of the cycle of mediocrity. Or they could cement their place in directionless post-Roethlisberger purgatory.
ESPN Stats and Information contributed to this report.
