Knee-Jerk Reaction: Steelers to Sign QB Russell Wilson
I told myself I was going to go to bed and do some actual research into the impact of this move before I reacted to it, but I can’t sleep or focus on anything else. So here we go. There will be cursing.
According to Adam Schefter, the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to sign quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal at the start of the new league year. Schefter refers to the deal as “team-friendly” and, by all accounts, he will sign a minimum deal worth about $1.2 million, and the Denver Broncos will pay him the $38 million he is owed for 2024.
What in the ahbsolute fuck is going on? This is an extremely uncharacteristic move by this front office. Fans were screaming for change all year long last year, and it seems like they’re getting it. But, is that a good thing?
I’ve talked about this all offseason. Unless you’re bringing in a top-tier QB, why would you derail the confidence of Kenny Pickett by making huge splashes via trades or free agency to get new QBs in Pittsburgh? I get it…Russell Wilson is better. And I’m sure once I let this marinate in my head, I’ll be happy about it. Right now, however, all I can think about is the future. So now the questions in my mind are (1) Is Russell Wilson winning you a Super Bowl? - Probably not. And (2) What now? So, fans got their wish, and we’ll have better QB play…in the form of a 1-2 year rental with a 35-year-old QB that is past his prime. As fans, we’re so nearsighted that we can’t see that we’re literally hitting the reset button on the position, once again, by doing this. Let’s not act like this is going to be a legit competition between Wilson and Pickett. Wilson’s the guy now, and we have successfully benched Pickett and probably murdered his confidence; effectively admitting that we wasted the Number 20 overall pick in 2022. So, let’s enjoy this year or two before we go down this road again I guess? There seems to be a whole lot of excitement surrounding this move, and all I can see is a second round exit in the playoffs and more questions next year when we could have just given Pickett another year under a new offensive coordinator to prove he belongs here. That ship has sailed. Hell, I would’ve preferred the Justin Fields trade. I think Justin Fields is worse than Russell Wilson, but he’s 25 YEARS OLD and has room to grow. I just don’t get it, man.
I know I’m being dramatic, and like I said, once I sit with this for a little bit, I’ll be on board. At the end of the day, I’m a Steelers fan, not a Kenny Pickett fan. I am just surprised by the sudden optimism of this fanbase. What a shit show.
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