Russell Wilson sent a motivational message to Kenny Pickett before getting him traded

Steelers Nation, let's weld.

It doesn't have the same ring to it, but new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson still has time to come up with a new battle cry.

The Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year contract for the veteran minimum salary of $1.2 million, leaving the Denver Broncos with the tab for Wilson's $37.7 million salary during the 2024 NFL season. While Wilson's ride with Broncos Country didn't go as planned, he is set to replace Kenny Pickett as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback.

Russell Wilson messaged Kenny Pickett after signing with Steelers

During his introductory press conference, Wilson said he messaged Pickett as soon as he made the decision to sign with Pittsburgh.

"I got to talk to him a little bit and I just told him, 'Hey let's go out there, let's be the best version of ourselves to try to make this team better,'" Wilson said of his conversation with Pickett.

While the sentiment is nice, it doesn't mean much — Wilson's arrival guaranteed Pickett's departure. Before the Steelers traded Pickett, Wilson side-stepped questions about what he expects his role to be.

"I'm expecting us to win," Wilson said. "I'm expecting us to do everything we can to enjoy this process and get better every single day." 

While the low-risk acquisition was initially advertised as a quarterback competition, Wilson's spot as the starter was solidified when Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.

Pickett, a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, followed a promising rookie season with a dismal sophomore campaign. In 2023, the Steelers scored the fifth-fewest points per game (17.9) and had the eighth-fewest passing yards per game (186.1). Head coach Mike Tomlin still managed to sneak his team into the postseason with a 10-7 record, but Pittsburgh was quickly ousted from the tournament. As the Steelers looked ahead to the 2024 NFL season, Tomlin made it clear that evaluating the quarterback position would be a priority. 

"I want us to be versatile and dynamic," Tomlin said at his season-ending press conference. "Obviously, we've got to score more points. I want to be able to keep defenses off balance. I want to utilize all the talent that we have at our disposal."

The Broncos released Wilson last Wednesday, despite a devastating $85 million dead money charge over the next two seasons. Now, Wilson will lead a Steelers team that hasn't had a losing season since 2003.