The Steelers picked the best year to change their ways. They’ve emptied out a subpar quarterback depth chart, rebuilding it with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. They’ll pay them less than $4.5 million combined for 2024, and they gave up a sixth-round pick in 2025 to get them.
And they’ve got no commitment to either player beyond this season. If one plays well enough to continue to be the starter beyond the coming year, so be it. If both do, “good problem to have.” If neither do, they move on to someone new next year, no strings attached and no cap consequences.
For now, they’re taking a blast-furnace-half-full approach to the situation.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (who reported one month ago today that the Steelers have no interest in a veteran quarterback with aspirations to start) now reports that the Steelers intend to sign Wilson “to a longer deal at the end of the season.”
It’s a safe position for the Steelers to take. If Wilson doesn’t play well, no one will say, “But but but you intended to sign him to a longer deal!” If he does play well, it’s a no-brainer.
Unless, of course, he plays so well that he wants more than the Steelers are willing to pay. (That’s another “good problem to have,” I suppose.)
There’s another reason for leaking that nugget to Dulac, who someone from the Steelers burned with that February 17 report (which was correct when it was reported). The latest Dulac item landed just after the Steelers traded for Fields. The point was to ensure that no one believes Fields was acquired to be the starter, and that Wilson will be QB1.
That’s another safe position to take. If Wilson doesn’t play well and Fields becomes the starter, no one will say, “But but but you created the impression that Wilson is the starter!”
Although Wilson seems to be willing to set aside the form-over-substance stuff that has characterized various stages of his career, there’s still a dance to be done. He feels like he got jerked around by the Broncos…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/report-steelers-plan-sign-russell-135332680.html
Author : ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-03-17 13:53:32
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