The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen a drastic change in their quarterback room in the previous few weeks.
They let Mason Rudolph leave, and then it was revealed that they had signed a one-year contract with 7-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, despite the fact that the Broncos still owe $38 million to their former signal caller this season.
From the moment Wilson’s contract was signed, it was assumed he would be the starting quarterback in 2024.
However, the team formally stated that he will compete alongside Kenny Pickett in the spring and training camp for the Steelers’ starting quarterback position in 2024.
“I come in with the mindset of just being the best version of me every day. I think that’s always the plan,” Russell Wilson told Pittsburgh media. “For me, I want to help our football team win. I think that’s the quarterback’s role is to help the Pittsburgh Steelers win.”
The Steelers used a 2022 first-round pick on Kenny Pickett, but the signal-caller struggled to move the offense and was eventually usurped by Mason Rudolph last season. In steps Wilson, a former Super Bowl champion following two down seasons in Denver.
Wilson repeatedly parried questions about whether he was given any assurances he would be the starter.
“Every day you wake up, you look forward to helping the team win,” he said. “I think that’s just honestly my focus right now. I’ve been fortunate to be in this league for a long time and had a lot of success and done some cool things, but there’s more to do. And that’s where my head’s at.”
With the Broncos owing Russell Wilson $38 million after his release, the Steelers were allowed to contract the quarterback for the veteran minimum of $1.21 million. Wilson is practically playing for free in Pittsburgh this season. He chose the Steelers in hopes of returning to winning ways.
And on Friday, when the Steelers traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, it was absolutely evident that he would be the starter in 2024.
Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, revealed what he told Kenny Pickett before being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gerry Dulac, who covers the Steelers on a regular basis, shared the reasoning for the organization moving on from PIckett.
“The Steelers made the move because of the way Pickett was poorly handling the arrival of Russell Wilson, according to sources. That came on the heels of Pickett’s behavior last season when he refused to dress as the emergency third quarterback in Seattle in Week 17.”
Now, the Steelers only have one QB under contract and while it’s inevitable they sign a backup in free agency or acquire one through the NFL Draft, Wilson won’t be competing with Kenny Pickett for the starting job.
In a recent article on NFL.com, Wilson shared the conversation he had with Pickett when he was signed in Pittsburgh.
“As soon as I made the decision to come here, I texted Kenny and got to talk to him a little bit and told him, ‘Hey, every day we go out there, let’s be the best version of ourselves and try to make this team better,’” Wilson said. “So that was cool. I just texted him right away.
For me, the thing about being a quarterback in this National Football League, there’s 32 teams, there’s 32 quarterbacks that get to start, but there’s all these guys that get to do all the work together and on the journey. It’s a quarterback club. The best part about it is I’ve been fortunate to be a part of it for my 13th year. I want to continue that as long as I possibly can.”
It’s clear Kenny Pickett wasn’t receptive to Wilson’s text which led to the Pittsburgh Steelers parting ways with the QB that was once viewed as the future franchise starter.
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