After a 10-3 begin, the Pittsburgh Steelers misplaced their final 4 common season video games earlier than bowing out within the Wild Card Spherical to the Baltimore Ravens. One of many greatest causes for the crew’s struggles was a dip in play from quarterback Russell Wilson, a participant that head coach Mike Tomlin went “lone ranger” on to make the starter after he missed the primary six video games of the season and Justin Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 file. Appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast, NFL insider Albert Breer stated that after how issues went down with Wilson, Tomlin could not have needed to push for QB Shedeur Sanders, a participant he preferred throughout the pre-draft course of.
“I believe folks there would inform you that the Russell Wilson factor undermined so many issues within the final month of the season, and plenty of that constructing actually needed them to return to Justin Fields. And it was one thing the place Tomlin was type of once more, all on his personal on that one. And I believe it’s a part of the rationale why, Tomlin preferred Shedeur [Sanders] going into the draft. However I don’t assume Tomlin needed to press that button once more at quarterback after what occurred on the finish of the 12 months with Russell,” Breer stated.
There was plenty of hypothesis that some folks in Pittsburgh’s constructing had been open to turning again to Fields, who performed a restricted function off the bench late within the season with Wilson struggling. However Tomlin caught with Wilson. After the five-game shedding streak, retaining Wilson appeared unlikely and he finally signed with the New York Giants, with Pittsburgh turning over their quarterback room for the second offseason in a row.
Sanders got here in for a pre-draft go to with Pittsburgh and Tomlin praised his toughness and intangibles. There was some buzz that Pittsburgh might take him within the first spherical, however he finally fell all the way in which to the fifth spherical earlier than being chosen by the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh had a number of alternatives to draft Sanders, however as an alternative chosen DL Derrick Harmon, RB Kaleb Johnson and EDGE Jack Sawyer. The crew did take QB Will Howard within the sixth-round, however with Breer’s principle, there’s a case to be made that the Steelers might’ve thought-about taking Sanders larger had Tomlin pushed for him extra.
Initially, the transfer to begin Wilson regarded sound, as he led the Steelers to 4 straight wins and received six out of his first seven begins. However issues went sideways down the stretch, and it could make sense if Tomlin didn’t need to stick his neck out for one more quarterback after the disastrous ending of the season, and finally Wilson’s tenure in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers nonetheless don’t have a transparent reply at quarterback for 2025, and drafting Shedeur Sanders nonetheless possible wouldn’t have given them one. Nevertheless it’s fascinating to notice that Tomlin was a fan of the quarterback who now performs for Pittsburgh’s division rival, and that if issues didn’t flip bitter with Wilson, he might’ve pushed to make him Pittsburgh’s subsequent signal-caller.
