How Much Better Does Russell Wilson Make the Steelers?

The bloom is off the rose when it comes to Russell Wilson. Meaning any team (and the fans of that team) interested in signing the 12-year veteran likely had no illusions that they’d be getting prime “Let Russ Cook” Wilson.

So why did the Steelers sign him just two years after taking Kenny Pickett in the first round of the NFL Draft? The answer is simple - He’s a clear upgrade at the most important position on the field and carries almost no financial risk.

How Wilson Makes the Steelers Better

Whatever you want to say about Wilson’s time in Denver, he can still play the position effectively. Most importantly, he is still a very accurate passer who protects the ball but also has the ability to make big time throws.

Last season, despite operating behind an offensive line that was one of the worst in the NFL (5th highest pressure % allowed), he completed over 66% of his passes and had a 26-8 TD-INT ratio in 15 games.

That same level of performance would be a massive upgrade for Pittsburgh considering their 3 quarterbacks last season combined to complete just 63.8% of their passes with a 13-9 TD-INT ratio.

According to PFF, Wilson also had the 6th-highest completion percentage in the NFL on throws at the intermediate level (10-19 yards from the line of scrimmage). Those are the types of throws that generally aren’t layups or completions that come merely as the result of great scheme.

This was an area where Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks really struggled a year ago, completing 50% as a group (Pickett - 50.7%; Trubisky - 40.9%; Rudolph - 57.1%).