The Pittsburgh Steelers knew that when they acquired quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, they would possibly only provide a stopgap. The two veterans both signed one-year contracts with Pittsburgh. They both got a shot at leading the team as the starting quarterback and showed their strengths and weaknesses. Now, Pittsburgh has to decide who best suits its needs as it continues to look for its franchise quarterback.
ESPN Broadcast / MNF
Steelers' Russell Wilson and Justin Fields during Monday Night Football.
When Wilson led the team to a 10-3 start, most insiders felt confident that Head Coach Mike Tomlin would want to re-sign him for 2025. The only real question was how much he would cost. Then they lost their last five games of the season, including the Wild Card game against the Baltimore Ravens, and confidence plummeted. Now, most have begun to suggest that they'd be better off with someone mobile like Fields.
Longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show told the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show that he feels Fields will at least explore his options. That means he isn't a sure thing for the Steelers. As for Wilson, Kaboly said he may not be at the top of their list anymore. Besides, the recent news that the Las Vegas Raiders might be interested in reuniting him with his former Head Coach Pete Carroll could make all of that a moot point.
"The Russell Wilson thing to the Vegas thing, I just think as a person in this job for a long time, you're just adding one and one and getting two right there," explained Kaboly. "It's not like somebody's going up to said national reporter and saying, 'Boy, Russell Wilson's interested in going here.' It's like no, he played for Pete Carroll, he would fit good there, he has a home in San Diego which isn't far from Vegas, he does still live in Washington at times, I think his kids went to school there. It makes sense. That doesn't mean the Raiders are interested in him."
Kaboly added that he finds it interesting that he could sign a deal to go to Vegas just days after Wilson told the media how much he "loves it here" and plans to stay in the black and gold. The reality is that Wilson is at the back end of his career. At 36 years old, it is unknown how much longer he can play effectively.
NFL.com
QB Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll with the Seahawks in the late 2010s.
The other factor is that Pittsburgh might not be extending him an offer. While it made sense that Wilson would want to stay in the Steel City with a coach like Tomlin, whom he respects, that might not be enough. Reports also broke that Wilson and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith did not get along. If the Steelers aren't rolling out the red carpet, and there are issues with his offensive coordinator, trying to bottle lightening for a second time with Carroll might be his best option.
Is The Steelers' Quarterback Solution In An Upcoming Draft?
There are a lot of franchises out there who would like to have the problems the Steelers do: 18 straight non-losing seasons, consistency at head coach, and never being the laughingstock of the league. However, that success, the fact that they always draft around the low 20s, means they never get a top 10 pick unless they trade up.
This makes it hard to find your next franchise quarterback. While it is easy to cite players like Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson, who were later picks, those rare talents are the exception, not the norm. While former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger might think it makes sense for the team to tank for a draft pick, that goes against everything the Steelers believe.
They might try to develop someone like Jalen Milroe or use Fields, or some other veteran to hold them over until a stronger quarterback draft, like the one expected in 2026.
