Russell Wilson might not have been the right piece to get the Pittsburgh Steelers over the top. But he’s hardly the reason why the team fell apart down the stretch. That’s how Fox Sports analyst and former NFL player Emmanuel Acho sums up Wilson’s first – and potentially only – season with the Steelers, defending Wilson and blaming Mike Tomlin during a Monday episode of The Facility.
“Russell Wilson was not the issue with the Steelers last year,” Acho told the FS1 panel. “At all. Russell Wilson was not the difference between the Steelers winning a Super Bowl and losing a Super Bowl.”
With Wilson, the Steelers finished 2024 the way they did 2023. A 10-7 regular season record, Wild Card berth, and first round postseason exit. Of course, the way Pittsburgh finished was drastically different compared to 2023, losing their final five games as opposed to winning their final three regular season games the year prior. Wilson and the offense went back into a shell, failing to score more than 17 points in any of their final five losses, a team-first since 1969.
Acho acknowledged Wilson wasn’t the cure, either. Instead, most of his ire was drawn towards Mike Tomlin, struggling to develop or find a quarterback in the three years since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement. In a world of offensive gurus, Tomlin’s defensive-minded background hurts him and by extension, the team.
“You’re not doing that if you can’t develop one,” Acho said, pointing to the lack of development of previous young quarterbacks. “And if you can’t identify one, then your hands are kind of stuck.”
Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett were once thought to be futures of the franchise. Rudolph ended up as a competent backup and spot starter. Pickett never developed and lasted just two seasons before his trade request was granted, becoming the Philadelphia Eagles’ backup.
“The position he’s proven over 17 years to not be able to figure out is the one position he needs to,” Acho said of Tomlin.
Acho made the case for Pittsburgh to pursue a proven and prime quarterback like the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford instead of the team attempting to develop a rookie or revive a veteran. Tomlin benefitted from what few new head coaches receive: a franchise quarterback. For 15 years, he didn’t need to worry about finding a quarterback and the challenge associated with solving that problem. Now, it’s staring the team in the face as they’ve rolled through nearly a half-dozen anointed starters: Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Rudolph, Wilson, and Justin Fields. The team’s results have been roughly the same no matter who has been under center.
Just as proved true during the long gap from Terry Bradshaw to Roethlisberger, the Steelers won’t truly be consistently competitive again until they find their next franchise arm. So far, Mike Tomlin hasn’t proven to be up to the task.
