Two New Steelers Selected To The Top 10 Free Agent Signings Most Likely To Bust In 2024

The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the 2024 season with a completely different quarterback room than they had in 2023. Russell Wilson was brought to Pittsburgh after a rough two years with the Denver Broncos. The Steelers also upgraded their linebacker position group by making a big splash in free agency with the Patrick Queen signing. While both of those acquisitions have the fans in Pittsburgh excited, not everyone believes the additions are actually improvements.

After a 2023 season with a quarterback group consisting of Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, Wilson seems like a clear upgrade right away. Despite the struggles during his time in Denver, Wilson won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. Gilberto Manzano doesn't see the Wilson move as the right one for Pittsburgh, at least not for the future.

"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. The Steelers added two quality signal-callers without needing to rebuild with a rookie quarterback—a blueprint other QB-needy teams without a high first-round pick should follow. But Pittsburgh would be wise to split the starting snaps between Wilson and Fields from the get-go. Wilson has struggled the past two seasons and probably won’t regain his form from his Seattle days."

While Manzano sees the Justin Fields trade as being the more lucrative of Pittsburgh's quarterback additions, the Steelers are still going into 2024 with Wilson as their starter. The low-risk, high reward that comes with both passers could prove beneficial to the team, regardless of who starts. As long as the goal continues to be building the best offense to compete in the NFL, then Wilson and Fields could work together to bring Pittsburgh back to its championship ways.

Another addition that Manzano sees as more of a risk than a sure thing is Queen. The former Baltimore Ravens' linebacker comes into a situation that ended up being an unexpected point of frustration for the Steelers in 2023. Injuries decimated a rebuilt linebackers' room during the 2023 season, making the Queen signing all the more important. While Manzano has a little more faith in the Queen acquisition than he does in Pittsburgh signing Wilson, there is still concern.

"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. Perhaps Queen needed a few years to find his footing and could excel playing behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in Pittsburgh."

Whether Queen ends up being worth the money invested in him will have to be seen, but there is confidence in Queen's ability to bring some stability back to the inside linebacker spot. If Queen can become a staple in the middle of Pittsburgh's defense, the surrounding cast of Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts could form a strong, reliable core that has been missing for the Steelers. Omar Khan is very good at what he does, and there is full belief that both Wilson and Queen will end up playing crucial roles down the stretch for the franchise.

Steelers Excited About Triple Threat In 2024

Bringing in Queen is a move that the Steelers are confident will shore up the inside linebacker position after a tumultuous 2023 season. However, on the pass-rush side of Pittsburgh's defense, the future hasn't looked this bright in quite some time.

The Pittsburgh defense understands that they will most likely be relied on to steady the ship if their offense has some growing pains, but they are more than up for the challenge. After a 2023 season that was struggle after struggle, the Steelers still got into a Wild Card game. With some steady hands guiding the way, 2024 could be a big step toward becoming a consistent contender in the NFL once again.

How many sacks will the Steelers get in 2024 from their defense?