As fans wait to see how the Pittsburgh Steelers will address their quarterback situation, former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco decided to share his opinion on what should come next for the team.
The former All-Pro believes the team should acquire a clear choice at the position.
In an interview with Shannon Sharpe on the January 19 edition of the Nightcap podcast, Ochocinco stated that the Steelers’ pursuit of Russell Wilson “makes too much sense.”
“If you’re sincere, Russell Wilson is undoubtedly available now that Mike Tomlin has received a contract extension. You should get him,” Ochocinco remarked. “I believe they will be on fire because of their offensive combination, which includes Russell Wilson, Diontae Johnson, and Najee Harris. Super Bowl coach, playoff quarterback, and perfect
Super Bowl quarterback. Man, George Pickens is gonna love that. It just makes too much sense to pass up an opportunity like that if you’re serious about contending in the AFC North.”
It’s not the first time Ochocinco has made this suggestion. He also brought up the idea shortly after the Broncos benched Wilson.
https://x.com/ochocinco/status/1740189953622159504?s=20
Wilson is one of the many quarterbacks that have been named as potential additions for the Steelers.
Opinions Vary on Who Steelers Should Pursue
Early on in the 2023 NFL offseason, the Steelers have plenty of options if they decide their quarterback for 2024 isn’t actually one they already roster and each of those options has gotten support from different sources.
Just this past week, Marc Spears declared that if the Steelers signed Kirk Cousins, they would “absolutely” be contenders.
According to Keyshawn Johnson, the Steelers should go acquire Justin Fields.
Along with Cousins and Fields, Baker Mayfield was identified by Dan Orlovsky as a quarterback the Steelers should consider.
Ochocinco has now backed an effort to acquire Wilson.
Mason Rudolph will start for the team, according to Antonio Brown’s selection in response to a question on Twitter.
There hasn’t been much public support for Kenny Pickett this offseason and he’s likely to need to compete for the starting job with whoever else the team has on the roster at the start of the preseason.
There is no more important decision facing the Steelers right now than what they are going to do at quarterback and they have plenty of options to consider as they make that choice.
Wilson Isn’t Actually Available Yet
While Wilson is a player that is expected to be playing for a new team in 2024, there is one kind of important
obstacle currently preventing him from making a move.
The player and the team haven’t formally said that they’re seeking a transfer yet.
It appeared like his time in Denver was running out when the team benched him for the final two weeks of the season.
Wilson did, however, later state that he still desired to play with the Broncos.
Additionally, there isn’t much that the team stands to gain by cutting Wilson before the 2024 campaign.
They don’t have a suitable successor, therefore he would still carry a significant dead cap hit.
They’ll likely draft a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming draft, but whoever that QB is would probably benefit from a year sitting behind Wilson.
If they get offered a trade that limits the hit they take on Wilson’s contract, letting him go becomes a lot more appealing, but there haven’t been any reports yet of teams preparing a bid for the nine-time Pro Bowler.
There is absolutely the possibility that Wilson could play elsewhere in 2024 and maybe the Steelers will be that team, but as it stands he’s a a QB on the roster of a team that doesn’t have another starter if they let him go.
