The Steelers picked the most effective yr to vary their methods. They’ve emptied out a subpar quarterback depth chart, rebuilding it with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. They’ll pay them lower than $4.5 million mixed for 2024, and so they gave up a sixth-round choose in 2025 to get them.
And so they’ve received no dedication to both participant past this season. If one performs nicely sufficient to proceed to be the starter past the approaching yr, so be it. If each do, “good drawback to have.” If neither do, they transfer on to somebody new subsequent yr, no strings connected and no cap penalties.
For now, they’re taking a blast-furnace-half-full strategy to the scenario.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Submit-Gazette (who reported one month in the past right now that the Steelers have little interest in a veteran quarterback with aspirations to begin) now experiences that the Steelers intend to signal Wilson “to an extended deal on the finish of the season.”
It’s a protected place for the Steelers to take. If Wilson doesn’t play nicely, nobody will say, “However however however you meant to signal him to an extended deal!” If he does play nicely, it’s a no brainer.
Except, in fact, he performs so nicely that he desires greater than the Steelers are keen to pay. (That’s one other “good drawback to have,” I suppose.)
There’s another excuse for leaking that nugget to Dulac, who somebody from the Steelers burned with that February 17 report (which was appropriate when it was reported). The most recent Dulac merchandise landed simply after the Steelers traded for Fields. The purpose was to make sure that nobody believes Fields was acquired to be the starter, and that Wilson might be QB1.
That’s one other protected place to take. If Wilson doesn’t play nicely and Fields turns into the starter, nobody will say, “However however however you created the impression that Wilson is the starter!”
Though Wilson appears to be keen to put aside the form-over-substance stuff that has characterised numerous phases of his profession, there’s nonetheless a dance to be accomplished. He looks like he received jerked round by the Broncos (no matter whether or not he did). The Steelers know they’ll’t create the impression that they’re jerking him round now, by for instance utilizing his presence as leverage to get a greater deal for Fields, with a secret plan to make Fields the starter.
Regardless, it’s all falling collectively completely for the Steelers. After the Broncos traded for Wilson in 2022, they need to have resisted any overtures relating to a brand new contract earlier than his first recreation together with his new group. It created a large number for the Broncos that may resonate to the tune of $85 million in useless cash over the subsequent two years.
Because of the $39 million the Broncos owe Wilson for 2024 (with Pittsburgh paying solely $1.21 million of it), the Steelers can’t and received’t be pressured to do something like that till after they’ve an opportunity to see what Wilson can do, for a whole season.
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