Russell Wilson Trade Shock: Inside the Deal That Could Shake Up the Broncos

H2: Russell Wilson Shows Flash of Vintage Form in Steelers’ Pre-Season Finale PITTSBURGH — Russell Wilson needed just one drive Saturday night to remind Steelers fans—and the rest of the AFC North—why Pittsburgh made the offseason swing for the nine-time Pro Bowler. The 36-year-old quarterback completed both of his passes for 26 yards and capped the opening series with a 4-yard touchdown scramble before head coach Mike Tomlin lifted his projected Week 1 starter in a 24-17 loss to Detroit.<https://sports.yahoo.com/russell-wilson-leads-steelers-to-touchdown-in-2nd-preseason-game-appears-to-have-won-starting-job-183149955.html /> H3: A Small Sample, Big Takeaway • 2-for-2 passing, 26 yds • 1 rush, 4 yd TD • 158.3 passer rating Tomlin called the cameo “exactly what we wanted—rhythm, command, points,” noting that the offensive line, which surrendered three sacks the week prior, “kept No. 3 clean.”<https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40981200/steelers-russell-wilson-quickly-pulled-scoring-drive /> H2: How Wilson Fits in Pittsburgh’s New Scheme First-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has installed an outside-zone, play-action heavy attack that mirrors what Wilson thrived in during his Seattle prime. On the touchdown drive, Pittsburgh opened with two jet-sweep looks to freeze linebackers, then dialed up a deep-over route to George Pickens for 19 yards before Wilson’s keeper around right end. H3: Mobility Still Matters Wilson’s 4-yard touchdown was designed, not improvised. “We’re not going to run him a dozen times a game,” Smith said, “but threat of the keeper tilts the numbers.” Last season the Steelers ranked 30th in red-zone TD rate; adding a quarterback who has 27 career rushing touchdowns is expected to boost efficiency. H2: Depth Chart Implications Justin Fields, acquired the same day as Wilson, entered on the second series and went 6-of-9 for 58 yards but stalled twice in the red area. Tomlin refused to name a regular-season backup—“that’s tomorrow’s problem”—yet league sources insist Fields’ athletic upside makes him a prime trade candidate if another team loses a starter early. H2: Fantasy & Betting Angle • Wilson’s current ADP has climbed into the late 11th round after Saturday’s glimpse of mobility. • Caesars moved the Steelers’ Week 1 team total from 20.5 to 21.5. • Pickens’ anytime-TD odds shortened from +200 to +165. H2: What to Watch Next Pittsburgh travels to Foxborough on Sept. 7 for the season opener. New England’s defense ranked top-five against play action but struggled against mobile QBs (Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson combined for 5 rushing TDs vs. Pats in 2024). Look for Smith to script early bootlegs and RPOs to stress edge contain. H3: Bottom Line The sample size was tiny, but the takeaway was huge: if Russell Wilson consistently marries his trademark deep ball with timely legs, the Steelers’ offense—dead last in explosive plays last year—could rewrite its own narrative as early as Week 1.