Everybody has an opinion about Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields — which probably means one about Russell Wilson isn’t far behind. The Steelers signed Wilson to be their starter, but an injury prevented him from taking the field to begin the season.
Now that Fields has the Steelers out to a 3-0 start and on an upward trajectory, though, the questions are only beginning to mount about what to do with Wilson. If Fields continues to play well enough to win, surely quarterback-needy teams will start calling about Wilson. Already, that conversation is turning to the Miami Dolphins after QB Tua Tagovailoa’s latest terrifying concussion. So what should the Steelers do if the Dolphins come calling?
“I think they should resist, because the moment you trade Russell Wilson is the moment that you have only Kyle Allen as your insurance behind Justin Fields,” Mike Florio said on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “If they’re comfortable with Kyle Allen and if the compensation is something the Steelers can’t refuse, so be it.”
Allen has dressed as the backup to Justin Fields the past two games, with Russell Wilson an emergency option. While Allen has been a direct backup throughout his career, he is clearly third on the Steelers’ depth chart.
“The Steelers have a guy who has won a Super Bowl and been to another Super Bowl for the lowest you can pay a guy with 10 or more years of service. That is a huge bargain,” Florio said of Wilson. “Why would you move on from that guy?”
He pointed to Bill Belichick’s recent comments, calling the Steelers’ quarterback room the best in the league. While he didn’t suggest that Justin Fields is a top-flight starter, having Russell Wilson as your backup is a luxury.
The Steelers signed Russell Wilson in free agency, but they, of course, traded for Justin Fields. They sent the Chicago Bears a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick, but that is likely to turn into a fourth. Unless Wilson winds up in the starting lineup or Fields is injured, that is bound to happen.
I think most Steelers fans understand that this organization values quarterback depth more than almost any other. They are one of only a few teams that always carry three on the 53-man roster, even as the rules change. And they viewed Wilson as their starter, so of course he is good enough to be their backup.
Unless a team is willing to offer the Steelers at least a second-round pick for Russell Wilson, that is a proposal that is hard to even entertain. And a team would have to consider itself a Super Bowl contender to do that. The Dolphins very well might be such a team with the right quarterback, but do they think that’s Wilson? Mr. Unlimited has been nothing but limited so far.
Of course, this conversation is moot, at least until Russell Wilson is fully healthy, for which there is no timeline. But with Justin Fields’ injury history, I can’t see anything other than a genuinely stupid offer meriting a return call.
