The Pittsburgh Steelers may be looking at a new name at quarterback for the 2022 season, but it might not be one particular player.
According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, one NFL executive doesn’t see Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson landing with the Steelers.
“’I don’t see Wilson wanting to go there,’ an exec said of Pittsburgh, noting that Wilson values celebrity and has been linked to markets such as Las Vegas, Chicago and New York (Giants) in previous reports,” says Sando.
Wilson’s name has been rumored in potential trades in the offseason, especially with the Seahawks looking at the first losing season of the Wilson/Pete Carroll era. Following the Seahawks’ latest loss — this time versus the lowly Chicago Bears — Seattle has officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
With the Seahawks very well considering heading into a different direction in the offseason, multiple teams have emerged as potential suitors, including the likes of the Steelers.
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Wilson Appears to Desire a Major Market
While the match may make sense considering the Steelers’ need for a quarterback and Wilson’s desire to play for a Super Bowl contender, it may not make sense from a standpoint of simple desire. As mentioned by the NFL executive, Wilson wants to play in a major market.
The four teams Wilson outlined he’d be willing to play for during the previous offseason were the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys and Bears can be ruled out of the equation with their franchise quarterbacks in place. The Raiders already feature a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. If they chose to trade Carr, it would be safe to assume they’d head into a rebuild — rather than acquire a veteran quarterback such as Wilson.
Most importantly, Wilson contains a no-trade clause in his contract. Simply put, if he doesn’t want to play for Pittsburgh, he won’t.
Outside of the issue of Pittsburgh’s market size, the pairing of Wilson with a headstrong coach such as Mike Tomlin may present a major issue. Wilson has spent the first 10 years of his career playing for the carefree Carroll. Tomlin is known for being one of the most strict coaches in the league.
Sando makes mention of this as to why Wilson would not want to be traded to the Steelers.
“Tomlin’s outspoken emphasis on team orientation could factor when considering quarterbacks who spent last offseason stirring drama around their teams in ways beyond what is typical,” says Sando.
Wilson Might Not Be Right Fit for Steelers
That’s not even mentioning how Wilson will be 34 years old next season and is seeing a stark decline in production since returning from middle finger surgery. The Seahawks are 2-5 since Wilson’s return. Meanwhile, the veteran QB has completed less than 61% of his passes in five of those games and has achieved a quarterback rating of 80.1 rating or lower in three games.
Wilson will also likely be looking for a long-term home until he calls it a career. That poses a problem considering he only has two years left on his deal and will likely be looking for a contract extension.
The more likely scenario sees the Steelers acquiring a short-term bridge option at quarterback while selecting one in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
As nice as it would be to see a high-profile name replace Roethlisberger, it doesn’t appear to be in the cards when it comes to Wilson.
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NFL Exec Rules out Steelers to Land ‘Celebrity’ QB in 2022