The beginning of the Russell Wilson tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t have gone much better. But the past three games have been the polar opposite, which could cast doubt over Wilson’s future with the team.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter argued, though, the Steelers don’t have much of a choice. If they want to continue to compete for a postseason berth in 2025, then they have to bring back Wilson.
“What do you want them to do at the quarterback position?” Schefter asked on ESPN’s Get Up on December 26, via The Steelers Depot. “Who’s going to be out there that’s an upgrade over Russell Wilson right now?
“There are two logical first-round quarterbacks in the draft. You’re not going to get either one of those. The top free agent quarterbacks are going to be Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson. Is there another quarterback in the trade market that all of the sudden is going to spring free? Probably not.
“So, this is where the Steelers are.”
Wilson has completed 64.6% of his passes for an average of about 7.7 yards per attempt this season. He also has 15 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
That was more than good enough for the Steelers to go 6-1 in his first seven starts. But Wilson and the Steelers went winless in a three-game stretch against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
Versus those three Super Bowl contenders, Wilson averaged 5.9 yards per pass and 183.3 passing yards per game. He also had only 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Steelers Still Want to Bring Back Russell Wilson?
Schefter began his argument by reporting that the Steelers want Wilson to return. So, in a way, Schefter’s point was moot because the team doesn’t seem interested in testing the quarterback market again.
But the insider’s point still rings true. Last year, the Steelers went quarterback shopping because a few available quarterbacks likely offered an upgrade over Kenny Pickett. That’s not the case with Wilson and the possible 2025 quarterback market.
So, for next season, Schefter said the Steelers will have to re-sign Wilson and find other ways to improve.
“They’ve got to find a way to build out the roster and get the turnover battle that they haven’t been able to get to compete with the top teams,” Schefter added. “If they are not getting turnovers, they’re not going to win.”
The Steelers are 10-6 in large part because of their plus-15 turnover margin. Entering Week 17, they held the second-best turnover differential in the NFL.
But over the past three games, the Steelers are minus-2 in turnover margin.
The Steelers were a little unlucky against the Ravens and Chiefs. They forced 4 fumbles on defense and special teams but were unable to recover any of them.
In a perfect world, though, the Steelers would be able to compete without always having to rely on takeaways.
Is the Door Now Open to a Justin Fields Return to Pittsburgh?
Schefter made no mention of Justin Fields in his discussion about Wilson’s future in Pittsburgh. The general consensus among NFL pundits is Fields will not return to the Steelers in 2025 because either the team will not able be able to afford him with Wilson or Fields will have an opportunity to start elsewhere.
But unless Wilson finishes the 2024 campaign on a high note, there will be some fans wondering whether Fields is a better long-term option.
Sports Illustrated’s Noah Strackbein argued that the Steelers should consider Fields over Wilson for Week 18.
“The Steelers have a decision to make. If they want a real shot at breaking their playoff drought, they need to give Fields another chance,” Strackbein wrote. “Otherwise, they’re heading into the final week of the season with a quarterback who’s losing them games, and ignoring that the magic apple of Russell Wilson has turned bad.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave no indication that’s a possibility in his Week 17 postgame press conference. But the speculation about what the team should do at quarterback this offseason will likely be rampant if Wilson can’t lead the team to a playoff win.
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Adam Schefter Gives Bleak Steelers QB Outlook: ‘This Is Where They Are’