Where Should Russell Wilson Rank among NFL Starting QBs?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to give veteran Russell Wilson the first shot to win their starting quarterback job this offseason, with head coach Mike Tomlin saying that the 34-year-old has “pole position” for the QB1 job.

In ranking the 32 NFL quarterbacks ahead of the 2024 season, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports expects Wilson to win that job, but he is not expecting great play from the Pittsburgh veteran. Benjamin has Wilson ranked 19th in his power ranking of NFL quarterbacks this offseason.

“Settling for a one-year, prove-it deal as one part of the Steelers ‘ quarterback makeover, Wilson’s experience makes him a safe bet to open as QB1 over Justin Fields,” Benjamin wrote. “He’s also wired for an old-school, play-action-style offense like the one Arthur Smith is set to deploy.”

Benjamin has Wilson as the worst quarterback in the AFC North, with Joe Burrow No. 4, Lamar Jackson No. 6 and Deshaun Watson No. 17. Patrick Mahomes obviously took the top spot, followed Brock Purdy, Josh Allen, Burrow, C.J. Stroud, Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love.

Wilson was efficient, but not extremely productive, with the Denver Broncos last season. He finished with 3,070 passing yards, which ranked him 19th in the NFL. A low interception total — his 1.8% rate was the 10th-lowest in football — helped lift his passer rating to an eighth-best 98.0. That was an improvement on Wilson’s first season in Denver in 2022, but also his second-worst mark since 2018.

The Steelers hope to pair Wilson with Arthur Smith’s play-action heavy scheme, that will be more like the offense he had his greatest successes with while he played for the Seattle Seahawks.

Even if Wilson can only be the 19th-best quarterback in the NFL this season, that would provide a boost for the Steelers. Last year, Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph combined to finish 21st in team passer rating, 25th in yards, 21st in completion percentage and 21st in adjusted net yards per attempt.

What do you think, Steelers fans? Is ranking Wilson 19th fair, or is the new Steelers passer being underrated?