A five-game losing streak won’t splash cold water on Mike Tomlin’s affinity for Russell Wilson. Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers’ historic collapse to the 2024 season, Tomlin could run it back with Wilson in the hopes of a better 2025. Sharing his insight on the Steelers’ future at quarterback, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo thinks all love isn’t lost between Wilson and Tomlin.
“Russell Wilson’s best path back to the Steelers’ roster in 2025 is through Mike Tomlin, who was certainly his biggest supporter from the time that he realized we can get this guy for a veteran minimum deal, bring him on the roster, and potentially compete and have a starting quarterback for that number while the Broncos pick up the tab,” Garafolo said on Tuesday’s episode of The Insiders.
Tomlin and the Steelers were the first team to contact Wilson after the Broncos moved on from him. The New York Giants were Wilson’s first stop, but once Wilson landed in Pittsburgh, he immediately clicked with Tomlin. He agreed to sign a one-year deal for the minimum, even obliging when the Steelers declined his camp’s request for an additional option year.
It was Tomlin who turned to Wilson mid-season despite the Steelers sitting in first place with Justin Fields. This move didn’t sit well with those in or outside the organization, working “against the tide inside the building,” Garafolo said.
And it could be Tomlin who pushes for Wilson to re-sign in 2025.
“He still has a lot of support from Tomlin; Wilson does, from what I understand. Even recently, despite the fact that he didn’t play as well as he did earlier in the season.”
Russell Wilson has made clear re-signing with Pittsburgh is his priority. Moving on to a new team and starting anew with a different head coach wouldn’t be ideal for his career, one that would begin resembling a true journeyman rather than a starter.
Still, Garafolo cautioned even if Russell Wilson returned, his status wouldn’t be as solid as it was entering 2024.
“Is he gonna be the unquestioned number one in Pittsburgh in 2025? No. Is he going to be even in the pole position like Tomlin said this spring? Maybe not. But is he on the roster in the mix? Potentially some kind of bridge or a guy to compete with, whether it’s a rookie or another free agent? I think there’s a reasonable shot of that.”
Frankly, it seems even the Steelers aren’t sure what direction they’re going in at quarterback. They might spend 2025 bouncing from option to option and trying to collect talent to create competition: Re-sign Russell Wilson, sign a veteran, draft a mid-round rookie, or keep Skylar Thompson hanging around.
In an offseason when franchise-changing quarterbacks appear in short supply and the Steelers lack the resources to acquire one anyway, this year could be a bridge for the team to evaluate and bide its time until it hopes for a better outlook in 2026.
