If Russell Wilson arrives for his meeting with the Steelers and is asked by coach Mike Tomlin to compete with Kenny Pickett for the No. 1 quarterback job, Wilson should laugh in Tomlin’s face and walk out.

 

Yet, by all accounts, that’s the scenario Wilson will be presented with

The Steelers will likely blow their chance to sign Wilson via the dumb proposition of a Super Bowl winner who could well make the Hall of Fame being asked to compete with a bum who has small hands, a popgun arm, scrambles into sacks and only threw six touchdown passes last season. (Wilson had 26, one more than the Steelers as a team have totaled over the past two campaigns.)

 

Mason Rudolph replaced Pickett late in the season and outplayed him. But Pickett was still listed as No. 1 on the depth chart.

With Wilson making the veteran minimum of $1.2 million, the Steelers would have more invested in Pickett. How could Wilson trust that situation?

 

Wilson is 35. He’s not in his prime. But he’s better than Pickett.

Wilson threw 20 touchdowns and one interception in the red zone last year. Pickett threw six touchdowns total.

This reeks of shenanigans.

 

If Russell Wilson arrives for his meeting with the Steelers and is asked by coach Mike Tomlin to compete with Kenny Pickett for the No. 1 quarterback job, Wilson should laugh in Tomlin’s face and walk out.

 

The Steelers say they’re impervious to outside noise. But they’ve heard a phalanx of pundits say that the Steelers are nuts to commit unconditionally to Pickett: Peter King, Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Clark and Colin Cowherd among them. So they’ve come up with a response to such talk that they won’t have to execute. “We tried to get Wilson, but…”

If that seems a crazy notion, it’s no nuttier than just handing the job to Pickett. Or making Wilson battle Pickett for the job. (Which Wilson won’t do.)

 

The Steelers lie all the time. Remember when Bruce Arians “retired” as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, then won Coach of the Year twice and a Super Bowl? The Steelers are so full of crap, they should change their colors to brown and gold.

The Steelers need to sign Wilson by promising that he’ll start. They can always bench him later. (At least make it a lie that helps the team.)

Wilson at quarterback doesn’t guarantee that the Steelers will win the AFC North, or a playoff game, or even make the postseason.

But Wilson gives the Steelers a better chance at all those things.

 

One report suggests that the Steelers see Wilson as a backup who could mentor Pickett.

Wilson is a nailed-on prima donna married to a pop star. He had his own office in Denver and his personal support staff on site. You’d have to be insane to think that Wilson would adopt a whole new persona upon arriving in Pittsburgh, quickly throwing a friendly arm around Pickett.

Wilson doesn’t have to play this season or ever again: The Broncos will be paying him $39 million this year.

 

This whole scenario is typical of the current Steelers: Haphazardly managed and too often their own worst enemy. They can’t get out of their own way.

But Wilson only won 11 times in 30 starts with Denver.

Pickett’s lifetime won-lost record is 14-10.

Stick with Pickett. HE’S A WINNER.