The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves without a starting quarterback under contract for next season. Last year, they signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal, likely hoping he would show enough for the team to give him a longer contract this offseason. However, his poor play down the stretch has left his status with the team up in the air. CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones believes it wouldn’t be surprising if the Steelers allow Wilson to leave in free agency.
“They’re gonna bring back most of the coaches,” Jones said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “Arthur Smith loves to run the football. [Justin Fields] probably gives you some better legs. Those are decisions the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to make over the next couple of weeks, but at this point, not going to be much of a surprise to anyone if they see the Pittsburgh Steelers let Russell Wilson walk in free agency.”
Other reports have suggested that the Steelers are going to try to retain Wilson, but Jones seems to suggest they won’t be crushed if the two sides can’t agree on a deal. That makes sense. Wilson took an extremely team-friendly deal last year. This offseason, he might believe he’s earned a bigger payday that the Steelers aren’t comfortable giving him.
Jones broke down a few reasons why Wilson and the Steelers could part ways.
“Now that Pete Carroll has come back to the NFL, is in Las Vegas, a team that needs a quarterback, a lot of folks are looking at Russell Wilson potentially going to Vegas, maybe pairing up with Pete Carroll and Darrell Bevell if he becomes the offensive coordinator in Las Vegas,” he said. “Justin Fields offers you potentially a higher ceiling, maybe a lower floor, but a cheaper option as well at quarterback for Pittsburgh.”
Carroll’s return to the NFL is one of the biggest reasons people believe Wilson could leave Pittsburgh. For the first 10 seasons of his career, Carroll was Wilson’s head coach, and the two of them had a ton of success together. Although it sounds like their relationship deteriorated during their final few years with the Seattle Seahawks, they reportedly have patched things up since then.
Bevell is the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, but he was Wilson’s offensive coordinator for the first six years of his career. While no deal is done yet, Bevell reportedly interviewed for the Raiders’ offensive coordinator opening. If they hire him, a reunion with Carroll would make even more sense for Wilson.
Fields does seem like a better option for the Steelers, too. Not only does he have more upside than Wilson, but he seems like a better fit in Arthur Smith’s offense. His mobility fits more with Smith’s run-heavy philosophy. He didn’t look terrible in his few starts in 2024.
Maybe Wilson will return to the Steelers, but it’s definitely not a sure thing. It might be better for the Steelers to move on from him anyway. At 36 years old, Wilson’s best days are behind him. At least with Fields, they could try to unlock the potential that made him a first-round pick in the first place.
