This season was always going to be interesting for Russell Wilson. Despite being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL during his career, a rough stint with the Denver Broncos destroyed Wilson’s value. He signed a minimum contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent. He hoped to rewrite the narrative surrounding him, and he was, but the last few games have brought his abilities into question again. Ben Roethlisberger believes Wilson has earned a healthy extension from the Steelers.
“Yeah, I think so,” Roethlisberger said Monday on his podcast, Footbahlin’ with Ben Roethlisberger. “I think he’s played well, especially in that stretch in the middle. Obviously, he hasn’t played well the last couple games.
“Only one of those was with George [Pickens], which is a big deal for Russ. To me, Russ is a feast-or-famine guy. He’s throwing really short passes, or he’s throwing the deep ball. He’s got one of the prettiest and best deep balls in the game.”
Roethlisberger’s assessment is mostly right. At times, Wilson has done a fine job targeting the middle of the field, but that still isn’t his strength. He’s at his best throwing the ball deep down the sideline, and that’s been on display multiple times this year.
However, it’s interesting to say if those skills are enough to warrant giving Wilson an extension. It depends more on the kind of deal the Steelers give him. During that same podcast, Roethlisberger outlined the kind of contract he thinks the Steelers will give Wilson.
“You’re not gonna be able to give Russ, I don’t think you can do a one-year. If I were a betting man, I would say if the Steelers really wanted Russ back, I assume it would be like a three [year] for $100 [million], kind of what Baker [Mayfield] got in Tampa.”
The framework for Mayfield’s deal is often used to outline what Wilson could get. It makes some sense. Mayfield’s career as a starter looked to be over, but with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he revived his career. In return, they gave him a nice extension. However, there are some key differences between Mayfield and Wilson.
The biggest holdup to giving Wilson that kind of deal is his age. He’s 36, while Mayfield hasn’t even turned 30 yet. There’s more risk in investing that much time and money into a quarterback of Wilson’s age, especially one with his play style. Time has already robbed him of much of his athleticism. How valuable will he be if his arm strength goes soon and he loses that vaunted deep ball?
Roethlisberger is correct that Wilson has proved he can still be a starter in this league. During his first few games with the Steelers, he really shined. However, things have been uglier over the last few weeks. Specifically, Wilson has given away more costly turnovers. That does not equal winning football.
Despite that, it wouldn’t be crazy to see Wilson get the kind of deal Roethlisberger described. He has played well, and it sounds like he’s really integrated himself with the Steelers’ culture. Wilson has given them the leadership they’ve been seeking since Roethlisberger retired.
Roethlisberger finishes this thought by summarizing what he thinks the Steelers should do at quarterback.
“You need a quarterback in this league to win. I would do everything I could to try to sign Russ to a two-year deal. And I would try to keep Justin [Fields] as well. This would be my wish list. I’d try and keep both of them. I’d let Russ have the job, but let them compete and let Justin continue to learn.”
That does sound like a very favorable outcome for the Steelers. It does seem unlikely, but it would be nice. A two-year deal feels safer for Wilson, especially with Fields still on the team. However, it’s unclear how much money Fields will command on the market and if he wants a chance to be a starter somewhere else.
It’s a tricky situation to balance, and the Steelers likely will not worry about it until the season ends. If they play well in their final regular-season game and Wilson leads them to a playoff victory, he could earn a much bigger contract.
