The Denver Broncos made a huge move to cut Russell Wilson following the 2023 NFL Season, and that looks better why the day. This was the first time we got to see Wilson playing in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform. It was their Week 2 game, and ended up being a loss to the Buffalo Bills. Wilson was, as you can imagine, not good:
Russell Wilson was sacked 3 times for 21 yards in losses. His four completions were for 16 yards. Thus, minus-5 passing yards.
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) August 17, 2024
The sacks -- often on the QB -- were part of what drove Sean Payton batty and why the Broncos absorbed $85M in dead cap over two years to move on. https://t.co/0kBdRaMoSa
You have to wonder if Steelers fans seriously thought that they were going to get a better version of Russell Wilson for 2024? This sack here is classic Wilson, refusing to step up in the pocket and simply holding into the ball for too long:
#Bills sack Russell Wilson for the third time. pic.twitter.com/6KS8ewbhXm
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhiferNFL) August 17, 2024
The Steelers got a long look at their starters in this game, but their starting units were only able to muster three points in a home game. It was just tough sledding for the Steelers offense, and I'm not sure either QB did himself any favors. Russell Wilson went 8/10, which on the surface seems pretty good.
But all of those eight completions came out to just 47 total yards. Yes, that is under six yards per completion. Frankly, what Sean Payton was able to get out of Russell Wilson in the 2023 NFL Season is nothing short of a miracle. Wilson is clearly extremely declined physically, and it's odd that the Steelers have put him in a position to start in 2024.
Justin Fields was also not good in this game, so the Steelers may have acquired two new quarterbacks to still only have zero. The Broncos made the bold move to cut Russell Wilson following the 2023 NFL Season. This forced them to pay him nearly $40 million in 2024 to not play for the team, and it's also forcing them to eat an NFL-record $85 million in dead cap.
Perhaps we can now see clearly why the Broncos would have rather done all of that than have Russell Wilson on their team for 2024. The Broncos drafted Bo Nix, and in his first preseason start against the Indianapolis Colts, he did not take a single sack, so Denver may have something with the young Nix.