Steelers' Russell Wilson, Patrick Queen named among 2024 NFL free agents most likely to 'bust'
While you can't win a Super Bowl in March, no one wants to leave free agency thinking their team didn't get better. And for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, two new QBs and a star signing at LB have the city high with optimism. But according to Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, Pittsburgh's biggest signings […]
While you can't win a Super Bowl in March, no one wants to leave free agency thinking their team didn't get better.
And for fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, two new QBs and a star signing at LB have the city high with optimism.
But according to Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, Pittsburgh's biggest signings could come back to bite them:
Russell Wilson, Patrick Queen Named to SI's FA "Bust" List
10. Russell Wilson.
I went back-and-forth on including Wilson on this list, because the Steelers are only paying him $1.2 million for a one-year contract, a massive bargain for a starting quarterback. But that’s the problem: The Steelers have reportedly made Wilson the starter this offseason, instead of making him compete with Justin Fields, whom the Steelers gained in a trade for only a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, another bargain.
-Gilberto Manzano, Sports Illustrated
Wilson only being ranked 10th is a tad surprising to me, but Manzano's point about him being paid the league minimum is a valid one.
That's because while it's unlikely that Wilson taps into the player that helped Seattle win a ring, he could be the worst QB in the league and will come at virtually no cost for Pittsburgh given his salary and the trade for Justin Fields.
6. Patrick Queen
Queen is a physical downhill linebacker who also excels in coverage. He fits a need and the play style of the Steelers. But signing Queen to a three-year, $41 million contract comes with a few risks. The 2020 first-round pick struggled his first three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before enjoying a breakout ’23 season.
Queen, who didn’t have his fifth-year option exercised on his rookie deal, won’t get to play next to Roquan Smith in Pittsburgh. Coincidentally, Queen’s play picked up after gaining a rhythm next to Smith and getting the hang of Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme.
Gilberto Manzano, Sports Illustrated
With Queen, I don't see much of a bust factor. For one, he's only 24 years, old yet has four years of NFL experience. Couple that with the fact that Pittsburgh has shown the ability to acquire valid talent in free agency on defense, and a contract that is very team-based, and I don't see a world where Queen is a "bust" or singing that would hurt the team.
