Steel City
When it rains, it pours. Shortly after signing Russell Wilson to the veterans league minimum, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded a 2024 sixth-round draft pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for quarterback Justin Fields. This pick potentially becomes a fourth-round draft pick if Fields were to take at least 51% of the snaps this season. The move comes just days after trading away previous starter Kenny Pickett and a fourth-round draft pick (No. 120 overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round pick (No. 98 overall) and the Eagles' highest two seventh-round draft picks. What would have previously been a quarterback competition between Pickett and Wilson is now Wilson's job to lose after being given “pole position” of the starting role. But for how long is the real question? Justin Fields has been a polarizing prospect as he got off to a rough start in Chicago, leaving many wondering if it was the system or the player.
RUSSELL WILSON RELEASED
The Denver Broncos have released Russell Wilson after two years of service. During his tenure with the Broncos, Wilson threw for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions with an average quarterback rating of 91.2. These stats may look pleasant on paper, but the eye test clearly showed it was not a good fit. In what some call the worst trade in NFL history, the Broncos will take an $85M dead cap hit over the next two years after giving up a total of five draft picks, two of which in the first round and two in the second, QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, on top of prematurely signing Russell Wilson to a 5-year $248M contract extension. With all of that, Denver has little to nothing to show for the historic haul given up. This cap hit is by far the largest of any team in NFL history. Even if you were to combine any two of the top four largest dead cap hits in NFL history, it would still not come close to the Denver Broncos cap hit over the ‘24-’25 and ‘25-’26 seasons. The games are played between the lines, so we will have to wait to see the official outcome, but for now it seems the Denver Broncos have set themselves back at least a few years.
STEELERS SIGN RUSSELL WILSON
Russell Wilson signed a 1-year deal for $1.21M, the veteran minimum. A Super Bowl-winning quarterback who once was a Hall of Fame lock is now signing for the Veterans League minimum??? Initially jarring to the eye, there is more to it. The Broncos will still owe Wilson about $38M for the '24-’25 season alone. This allows Wilson to take a pay cut from his new team, which, in theory, will enable them to fill out the roster with better players. A match made in Steel City, the Steelers have been longing for a Pro Bowl quarterback since the days of Ben Roethlisberger, who last made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and retired in January 2022.
STEELERS TRADE KENNY PICKETT
The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded quarterback Kenny Pickett and a fourth-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round pick and the Eagles' highest two seventh-round draft picks. After signing Russell Wilson, the Steelers intended to have a quarterback competition to determine who would be the next starting quarterback between Wilson and Pickett. After hearing this news Pickett asked the team for a trade to somewhere he would feel more wanted, and with no hesitation, his wish was granted. Going from a starting quarterback last year to now a backup, Pickett looks to make a new name for himself in the state he both went to college and played his first NFL games.
STEELERS ACQUIRE JUSTIN FIELDS
The Steelers steal Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears in what, in hindsight, some may call a heist. Originally drafted No.11 overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, the Steelers have acquired the 25-year-old quarterback for a sixth-round draft pick that could become a fourth-round pick if Fields plays at least 51% of the snaps. The Bears and Fields have had a shaky relationship, and having the #1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft added fuel to the urgency of getting a trade done as the Bears look to draft USC’s Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams and finally secure their franchise quarterback. Will it pan out? That remains to be seen.