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Will Russell Wilson and Kenny Pickett legitimately compete for the Steelers’ starting quarterback job?
Steelers fans shy away when they hear the word “competition.” Not because they fear competition but because they question the competitiveness of previously billed skills. Head coach Mike Tomlin said they’re going to bring in competition at quarterback this offseason, but did they? Is Russell Wilson Kenny Pickett’s challenger or is he his replacement?
Nominally, most believe the Steelers intend to frame this as a true competition: Will it be competitive? Will it be an open competition, giving Wilson and Pickett roughly the same chance of winning? Their quarterback competition in 2022 was not open in that sense, although they did not claim it was unweighted either.
The Steelers obviously want Pickett to become a franchise quarterback, but Wilson offers an alternative option this season. Wilson has a Hall of Fame resume, while Pickett has… seven series wins, I guess. And I assume they have similar interception rates.
It’s true that the former Seahawk star’s reputation isn’t what it used to be; ask Sean Payton. These aren’t exactly teams lining up to give away three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson, who is a much worse human being and possibly not even a better quarterback right now.
But Wilson is clearly much more successful than Pickett, both historically and recently. Wilson threw 26 touchdown passes in 2023, twice as many as Pickett did in his entire career. What this team lacks most is scoring offense, and Wilson threw for the third-highest touchdown percentage last year.
I’m willing to believe the Steelers still “believe” in Pickett, whatever that exactly entails. But clearly they are not giving him anything; The question is what they are delivering to Wilson. For starters, how many first-team reps will Pickett get during the offseason?
Just like in 2022, new quarterbacks need reps. Wilson is the new quarterback this time and Pickett is the veteran, although both are learning a new system. Arthur Smith as the new offensive coordinator could be the equalizing factor there. They’re still figuring out exactly what offense they’re running, and whichever quarterback looks better will help shape that.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has overcome its misery and ended as many have done before in recent years: a disappointing, crushing playoff loss. The only change lately is when they miss the playoffs completely. But with the Buffalo Bills crushing them in the Wild Card Round, they have another long offseason ahead of them.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Kenny Pickett the guy?? Will he get a reprieve for another season without a serious challenge? How will the team approach? the depth chart? Will they re-sign Mason Rudolph, one of the few major unrestricted free agents?
Frankly, the Steelers are filled with more questions than usual this offseason, although the list of top free agents is less substantial than usual. It’s just a question of… what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?