Russell Wilson has been pretty clear about his desire to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But do the Steelers want to re-sign Wilson? While that question remains unanswered, it appears that the Steelers are at least considering another go-around with the veteran quarterback.
Both Wilson and fellow quarterback Justin Fields are on contracts that are set to expire in March. Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 start this past season. Wilson (who missed the season’s first six games due to a calf injury) won six of his first seven starts before Pittsburgh finished the season on a five-game losing streak.
“Yes, we have been starting to talk a little bit,” Wilson said on “The Pat McAfee Show” when asked if he and the Steelers have begun contract talks. “We’ve had our meetings and everything else, just getting into it. So I think that it’s an exciting time to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and the opportunity of what we can do.”
Several reports came out during the season that the Steelers and Wilson were mutually interested in signing a long-term deal after the season. Many have wondered, though, whether things have changed from the Steelers’ side given how 2024 ended, with a four-game slide to end the regular season and a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild-card round, which extended Pittsburgh’s stretch of seasons without a playoff win to eight.
Wilson’s play wasn’t the sole reason for the losing streak, but he did play a role in what transpired. He had three costly turnovers in consecutive losses to the Ravens and Chiefs, including a pick-six in Pittsburgh’s Week 16 loss in Baltimore. During the losing streak, it became increasingly clear that Wilson was largely relying on his moon balls and check downs to be successful. Intermediate passes were virtually non-existent.
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Some of the reason for that could be the Steelers’ lack of depth at receiver, an inconsistent running game and a young offensive line hitting a late-season wall. But regardless of the reason why, the fact remains that Wilson and the Steelers weren’t able to turn things around once the season started going south.
Prior to the losing streak, Wilson was playing well while looking at times like the player who was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection in Seattle. His most impressive outing with his 414-yard, three-touchdown performance in the Steelers’ Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
While the season didn’t end the way he or the Steelers would have liked, Wilson said that he is confident that Pittsburgh can turn things around in 2025. Wilson said that his continued familiarity inside Arthur Smith’s offense should lead to more consistent success should he re-sign with Pittsburgh.
Speaking of Smith, Wilson also addressed a report that recently came out stating that he and Smith did not have the best of working relationships.
“Oh, yeah, I like Art,” Wilson said. “Anytime you lose a game or two … people always try to tear things down. I think Arthur is a great coach. … We love trying to find ways to to compete every day and just get better so. He’s a great coach.”
Three things may ultimately determine whether or not Wilson remains with the Steelers: money, Fields’ situation and whether or not Wilson would be willing to accept a situation where he isn’t guaranteed the starting job.
Pittsburgh needs a veteran quarterback on the roster, so it makes perfect sense from that standpoint to re-sign Wilson. Wilson, though, will have to be reasonable with his monetary requests. It’s safe to say that he lost some leverage from that perspective after how the 2024 season ended.
The Steelers’ first priority should be re-signing Fields, who (in head coach Mike Tomlin’s words) showed last season that he is capable of being a starting quarterback on a full-time basis. Fields has also stated his desire to re-sign with the Steelers, but he may decide to test the open market to see what other options are out there.
If both Wilson and Fields come back, that doesn’t mean that the Steelers won’t take a quarterback early in the draft. It’s become increasingly clear that the Steelers won’t be a real competitor in the AFC until they have their quarterback position solidified. Until that changes, expect Pittsburgh to continue to turn over every possible stone.
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