While the Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly deciding between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, there is a necessary timeline. Once free agency starts, the Steelers will have to bid against all suitors for their services. With the Las Vegas Raiders recently hiring Pete Carroll as their head coach, there has been plenty of dot connecting there.
Recently, Carroll appeared on What the Football with Suzy Shuster & Amy Trask. As you might imagine, they broached the subject of Russell Wilson, forcing Carroll to go on record. Of course, the Raiders head coach wouldn’t offer much, given that we’re still in January.
“It’s so early and we’re just in the midst of trying to find the puzzle pieces, not even putting them together yet, so I can’t even say. Free agency hasn’t come yet”, Carroll said when asked about Wilson, as relayed by Michael David Smith for Pro Football Talk.
The Raiders drafted Aidan O’Connell in the fourth round in 2023 and signed Gardner Minshew II in free agency last year. Both quarterback remain under contract for 2025, but neither are ideal starting options. If Carroll were to target Russell Wilson in free agency, it would surely be as a starter.
In seven starts for the Raiders last season, O’Connell went 2-5, posting an 86.7 quarterback rating. Minshew posted a 2-7 record with a 9:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an 81.0 rating. For the Steelers, Russell Wilson finished the regular season 6-5 with a 16:5 ratio and a 95.6 rating.
Wilson played the majority of his career under Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks. In their 10 years together, he made nine Pro Bowls, throwing nearly 300 touchdowns and under 100 interceptions. For quite a stretch, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Neither Carroll nor Wilson have had the results they would like for the past few years, though. The Seahawks traded Wilson to the Broncos in 2022 in a doomed partnership. They fired Carroll after the 2023 season. But now he is back on the sideline with the Raiders—could Wilson join him?
If the Steelers are worried about the Raiders wooing Russell Wilson away, they have plenty of time to sign him. He is technically under contract until the new league year begins, and only they can talk to him in the meantime. But from the sounds of it, they’re not even sure if they prefer him or Justin Fields.
Given how the Steelers’ season ended with Russell Wilson, it’s hard to gauge his potential. There were times that he looked like the old Wilson during his 6-1 run. Outside of his costly turnovers, he still wasn’t altogether bad as they lost five games in a row to end the season.
