This week, it apparently became clear to Russell Wilson that his time with this Pittsburgh Steelers had come to an end. Wilson wanted to stay in Pittsburgh right up until he came to terms with the New York Giants on Tuesday night, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
It’s easy to see why Wilson wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. He started 6-1 as the team’s starter before the Steelers ended the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak. Wilson (who missed significant time during last year’s training camp while dealing with a calf injury) clearly wanted a chance to right that ship in 2025.
Off the field, Wilson probably didn’t want to relocate his family for a second straight offseason. Wilson only spent a year in Pittsburgh, but he quickly embraced the community while becoming a regular Tuesday visitor at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Unfortunately for Wilson, it wasn’t meant to be as far as getting another season in Pittsburgh. The Steelers, despite team president Art Rooney II previously stating that his preference was the team re-signing either Wilson or Justin Fields, decided to go in a different direction after Fields chose to sign with the New York Jets. The Steelers are reportedly in pursuit of Aaron Rodgers, who had reportedly been trying to decide between signing with the Steelers, Giants or retirement.
What changed regarding the Steelers and Wilson? There have been rumblings that the Steelers’ decision to move on from Wilson had more to do with off-field matters regarding Wilson’s relationship with several people within the organization, specifically offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Those are just rumors, however, as no direct member of the Steelers’ coaching staff/front office has publicly given this narrative any credence. That being said, it’s safe to assume that several factors played into the Steelers’ decision to move on from Wilson after just one season.
Fortunately for Wilson, it appears that he will get another starting opportunity with the Giants, who among other things have an impressive receiving corps that is led by Malik Nabers. Nabers is coming off a stellar Pro Bowl rookie season that included becoming the fastest player to reach 100 career receptions, needing only 14 games to do so.
