Back in March, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said the Steelers planned to sign QB Russell Wilson to “a longer deal” at the end of the season. They signed him to a one-year, Veteran Salary Benefit deal, but only due to his unique contract situation. One would imagine if you believe someone is a franchise quarterback, you want to lock him up longer.
Perhaps Dulac has changed his tune to some degree since then, or at least is less confident in the results. During his latest chat session, he tempered enthusiasm about Russell Wilson being anything more than a stopgap. Of course, his age plays a key factor in that, but he doesn’t see Wilson starting here long.
“I think Wilson is a short-term answer, obviously, at his age. I don’t see more than 2 years out of him”, Dulac wrote, which is not much more than one. Now, I checked the math on that and I’m pretty confident there. The thing is, he doesn’t sound any more confident in Justin Fields, either.
“Fields is an enigma”, Dulac wrote about the man who “lost” a “competition” to Wilson. “His talent is obvious. But so, too, are the measly 10 wins he managed in three years in Chicago. There’s a reason for that…and don’t tell me it’s because the Bears stink. They said the same thing about the Texans heading into 2023”.
The Texans reached the postseason and won a game with rookie C.J. Stroud at quarterback last year. The organization saw much upheaval in recent years, including parting with QB Deshaun Watson. Some believe the Chicago Bears after jettisoning Fields could have a similar turnaround with rookie Caleb Williams.
At least for now, Fields isn’t a threat to Russell Wilson. As long as Wilson delivers winning play, he should remain in the starting lineup in 2024. But it’s hard to say what happens after this season—for not the least reason being his contract status. He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, and if he plays well, he will have his suitors.
Dulac’s comments do imply that he still believes the Steelers will re-sign Russell Wilson after this year. You can’t play two years if you’re only under contract for one, after all. Yet he seems less confident than Wilson does that he can still play another seven years in the NFL.
Russell Wilson is teetering on the edge of a Hall-of-Fame career. Many wonder if his tenure with the Steelers might not be the tipping point one way or another. If he plays well, he locks up a spot in Canton. But if he plays poorly, then that might color the rest of his career about who deserves credit for the success of his first decade.
