Kenny Pickett’s starting role with the Pittsburgh Steelers may or may not be in danger. Russell Wilson’s Steelers visit shows that GM Omar Khan is open to bringing in a replacement for his first-ever draft pick since he obtained final say over the roster.
But that was always the belief since the start of the offseason when Mike Tomlin admitted Pickett would face competition in 2024. Yet, many thought that would come in the form of someone like Mason Rudolph or another veteran.
But Russell Wilson? A nine-time Pro Bowl QB who led his team to a Super Bowl victory? Few thought the Steelers would be so bold this offseason. So now that Wilson has visited Pittsburgh, what everyone wants to know is, how did the meeting go?
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers had a ‘great’ meeting
Russell Wilson visited the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, meeting with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith “for hours” according to Josina Anderson. She also added that Wilson’s visit went “great.”
From the sound of Anderson’s report, Wilson went into the meeting extremely prepared, having done his “homework” by reaching out to some of the Steelers players before the sit-down occurred.
Heard Russell Wilson had a great meeting in Pittsburgh so far. I was told he sat with #Steelers OC Arthur Smith ‘for hours’ and that ‘he looked happy.’ I was also told Wilson ‘did his homework’ reaching out to some players in advance, per source.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 9, 2024
Mike Tomlin moves like the ‘g’… https://t.co/qAXUm0hMiY pic.twitter.com/yp9IF586L8
There have been no indications that a contract offer was presented, but there shouldn’t be much to negotiate. Wilson’s release from the Broncos will pay him $39 million, no matter what the new dollar amount on his new contract states. As Anderson hints, Coach Tomlin moves silently, so just because Wilson hasn’t signed a contract yet doesn’t mean more news isn’t coming out of Pittsburgh.
Related: 2024 NFL mock draft: Falcons find QB, Round 1 projections after NFL Combine