The Pittsburgh Steelers were aggressive throughout the 2024 offseason when it came to turning over the quarterback room. All three signal-callers that were on the roster throughout the 2023 campaign ended up leaving the Steel City. One was released, another signed somewhere in free agency and the last was traded. This marked yet another new chapter in the Steel City following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. While Russell Wilson came to town in his mid-30s, there were signs to suggest he could be extended and hold down the fort throughout the next couple of seasons. That hope was lost after a brutal five-game losing skid to end the year.
Wilson's last few years have been a rollercoaster ride. His two-year tenure with the Denver Broncos did not go as planned and despite having a relatively solid 2023 campaign statistically, it was clear that he and Head Coach Sean Payton did not get along. So much so that Wilson was benched towards the end of his second and final year with the franchise.
Payton and the Broncos had a solid season on the shoulders of rookie quarterback Bo Nix in 2024, and Payton has indirectly made it clear several times throughout the last six months or so that he is happy that Wilson is not around. This trend continued during Payton's end-of-season of press conference. He spoke about the 2023 season and had nothing but horrible things to say.
"We're a lot closer than we were this time a year ago," Payton said. "That was misery, sorrow, drudgery. Give me some other adjectives. That was brutal. I'll say that."
Payton did not mince words about where his team was when Wilson was in charge of the offense compared to where it is now entering the 2025 offseason. It's clear that there is some kind of vendetta that the head coach has over the potentially soon-to-be free agent in Wilson. The Broncos were 8-9, and the quarterback threw for 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but it was very obvious by the end of the 2023 campaign that Wilson would be on his way out.
In the NFL, teams need quarterbacks to win. Payton was likely referring to the overall state of his team after the 2023 season, but it's hard not to connect his comments to Wilson, given how the relationship ended and Payton's slight jabs at the quarterback throughout 2024. All of the Broncos' actions since releasing Wilson have supported the idea that Payton wanted a different signal-caller running his system.
This was highlighted when the organization selected Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Wilson signed with the Steelers in the hopes of reviving his career, but it's very likely that he ends up as someone's backup in 2025 based on how the last month or so of the year went for Pittsburgh's offense. Wilson had some highlights in the Steel City, but when it mattered most and the lights shined the brightest, he didn't get it done.
It sheds a poor light on Payton that he is seemingly trying to bring down Wilson and put a ton of blame on him for the 8-9 2023 campaign, but the past is the past and the matter of the fact is that the Broncos are in a better position to win sooner because of a quarterback decision that was made in the last year.
Steelers Should Make A Quarterback Decision Sooner Rather Than Later
Pittsburgh has to evaluate all options when it comes to the team's signal-caller in 2025. After Wilson's collapse to end the year, it seems as if Justin Fields may be given the opportunity to sign a deal that is more financially feasible for the franchise. If this occurs, it's pretty much a confirmation of what's to come for Wilson. It hasn't been a great three years for Wilson and, unfortunately, the stretch could ruin his chances of being inducted into the Hall of Fame one day.
