The Pittsburgh Steelers have moved their chips closer to the middle of the table for the 2024 season with the addition of former Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson.
The 2013 Super Bowl-winning quarterback will be looking to prove he still has enough gas in the tank to carry Pittsburgh's offense after the Broncos paid him to go away. Wilson said during his introductory press conference that defensive stars Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt were all part of a recruiting blitz to lure the 35-year-old quarterback to Pittsburgh.
After signing Wilson, the Steelers organization decided to let go of Kenny Pickett and sent him off to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was reported that Pickett did not handle the arrival of the nine-time Pro Bowler well.
Ramon Foster, who played for the Steelers for 11 years, now co-hosts a daily podcast with DK Pittsburgh Sports reporter Dejan Kovacevic. On the latest episode of the podcast, Foster spoke about how the defensive players were pushing to add Wilson to the team.
"The defense is letting you know how they actually feel about him as a teammate," Foster said about Pickett. "You don't see people openly recruiting a guy when he's the best teammate you can have."
A lot has been said about Pickett's character after his departure. Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ray Fittipaldo, said many in the organization were glad to see him go. Foster expanded that it's not necessarily about a player's personality or attitude, sometimes it's all about getting better on the field.
"It ain't to say we didn't love those dudes, but if you have the ability to upgrade them as a teammate because of your play, give me the better option," he said. "I like winning more than I like somebody's feelings."
The bottom line in the NFL is winning. Pickett had his moments in Pittsburgh, including six fourth quarter comebacks. Ultimately, his 13 touchdowns and 4,474 yards in 24 starts were not sufficient.
Mason Rudolph rattled off performances down the stretch, showing the organization that it might not have been an issue with the offensive scheme, but instead, a problem with the quarterback.
It's the Wilson show now, possibly with some Justin Fields mixed in Kordell Stewart style. Wilson is two seasons removed from his last Pro Bowl nomination, but showed he still has some juice left in his second season in Denver.
He threw for 26 touchdowns in the 2023 season, which is more than the combined total of touchdown passes that the Steelers had from the trio of Pickett, Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky since Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 season.
Wilson's star power has declined since his earlier days. However, he did demonstrate his efficacy in the red zone during 2023, which had been a problem area for the Steelers' offense. Wilson had 20 red zone passing touchdowns and added another three on the ground.
Steelers' recruitment of Wilson reminds Foster of picking up former Browns star
Before the start of the 2017 season, the Steelers faced uncertainty at the cornerback position. However, their luck changed when the Cleveland Browns released Joe Haden, a two-time Pro Bowler. The Steelers' offense, which boasted talented players such as Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, worked hard to secure the 28-year-old's signature.
They may have even crossed the lines of what is legal in the NFL's recruitment rules, but it worked to secure the player. Foster said the offense was tired of being let down by the defense, and their push to sign Haden was an attempt to remedy that.
"You know why the offense wanted him," Foster asked rhetorically. "Because we were tired of our cornerbacks giving up cupcakes."
Well, Heyward, Watt, and Fitzpatrick seem tired of watching the offense drag down the defensive unit that has continued to play at a high level. Wilson might not be the answer they need, but for a league-minimum contract, they're willing to find out what the former Super Bowl winner has left.
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