Steelers A to Z: As training camp approaches, Russell Wilson remains in pole position at QB
Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
QB Russell Wilson
Experience/age: 13th year/35
Contract status: $1.21 million cap hit for 2024, eligible for free agency in 2025
The past: After two sometimes tumultuous seasons in Denver, Wilson and the Broncos had a mutual parting of ways, and it didn’t take long for him to secure a contract with the Steelers for the league minimum.
The Wilson signing created a seismic shift in the quarterback room. Kenny Pickett was traded to Philadelphia, Justin Fields came aboard via a trade with Chicago, and Mason Rudolph accepted a deal with Tennessee. In all, Wilson leads a completely revamped position group. All three veteran quarterbacks on the roster are on one-year deals.
A former Super Bowl champion in his decade with Seattle, Wilson struggled when he arrived in Denver, going 4-11 in his first season with 16 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.
Wilson rebounded last year by throwing 26 touchdown passes against eight interceptions, but the Broncos still were 7-8 in games he started.
WE’ll see you in Latrobe. @steelers pic.twitter.com/369PyCof9K
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) July 18, 2024
2024 outlook: The Steelers are banking on Wilson having a repeat of his 2023 passing numbers, which would be a striking improvement on what Pickett did in his second season with the team.
Wilson was brought in to help reinforce the Steelers’ win-now mentality. As a byproduct, they hope he can help groom Fields into being a potential successor. As was the case in offseason workouts, Wilson enters training camp in the “pole position” for the starting job. Barring injury, Wilson figures to be under center when the Steelers open the regular season at Atlanta.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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