Every year, quarterbacks dominate the NFL’s off-season discussions regarding free agents and college draft prospects.
But when reports connect a Super Bowl-winning quarterback to one of the league’s marquee franchises, the news attracts a bit more than the usual amount of chatter.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers plan to meet with former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson before the start of the NFL’s free-agency period next week.
Dulac described the Steelers as “interested in signing” Wilson.
The 35-year-old quarterback, who spent two seasons in Denver with very mixed results, also has an interest in joining the Steelers, though an unnamed team also may vie for his services, per Dulac.
Wilson joined the Broncos in 2022 and stumbled to a 4-11 record as a starter, by far the worst of his career. He amassed a mediocre 16-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also suffered a league-high 55 sacks and looked washed up in a dysfunctional offense.
Under new head coach Sean Payton in 2023, however, Wilson rebounded somewhat, throwing 26 touchdown passes to only 8 interceptions. The Broncos finished 7-8 in games that Wilson started. And they nearly qualified for the playoffs after a historically awful stretch at the beginning of the season that included a 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
In fact, on Oct. 29, Wilson’s Broncos dominated the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, 24-9.
Before joining the Broncos, Wilson starred as a 9-time Pro-Bowl QB for the Seattle Seahawks. In 10 seasons, he led Seattle to a 104-53-1 record and two Super Bowl appearances.
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On Feb. 2, 2014, Wilson’s Seahawks won their first and only Super Bowl championship, a 43-8 thrashing of (ironically) the Broncos.
Questions remain, however, about how much the veteran quarterback has left to contribute. Denver’s 2023 mid-season turnaround notwithstanding, Wilson showed little in the past two seasons to suggest that he would recapture the dominant form he once displayed in Seattle.
Then again, he might not need to rediscover dominance. In fact, he might only need to give Pittsburgh the lift it has sorely needed.
The 2023 Steelers finished 10-7 and qualified for the playoffs, losing to the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard round, 31-17.
To say that they endured ups-and-downs, however, would be an understatement. In fact, the offense looked so inept for most of the season that head coach Mike Tomlin fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada following a 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 19.
Then, the team hit rock-bottom during a three-game December losing streak that included home losses to a pair of 2-10 teams, the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots.
Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett showed flashes, particularly late in games when needed most. On the whole, however, the team received subpar quarterback play from both Pickett and backup Mitch Trubisky.
On Dec. 23, however, third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph injected life into the entire organization and fan base when he led the Steelers to a 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Rudolph proceeded to win two more games as a starter and helped the team secure a surprise playoff berth.
But Rudolph entered this offseason as a free agent. And while both sides have expressed interest in reuniting, there are no guarantees.
Meanwhile, the Steelers hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. When he served in that same role for the Tennessee Titans in 2019-20, Smith orchestrated an explosive offense and helped resuscitate the career of veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Could Smith do something similar for Wilson? And would Wilson give the Steelers the stability they need to make a deep run in the playoffs?
The pairing certainly makes sense for several reasons.
For one thing, signing Wilson would not necessarily mean that the Steelers had moved on from Pickett. Giving the younger quarterback an opportunity to step back for a year might do him good in the long run.
Furthermore, unlike Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, a rumored trade target, Wilson would not cost the Steelers a draft pick.
Finally, with veteran defenders T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers have built their roster to win now. Competent play from Wilson could help them do that.
In one way, however, the pairing should give the Steelers pause.
After all, signing Wilson almost certainly would make new fan-favorite Rudolph think twice before rejoining the team.
And if the choice comes down to Wilson or Rudolph, then it will not be an easy one.
