Russell Wilson has made it very clear that he would like to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that has always been a part of the plan ever since he signed with them last March in free agency. But that requires two willing parties, and the Steelers have hinted that Justin Fields is a part of that conversation too. That being said, Wilson confirmed today on The Pat McAfee Show that conversations about a possible return have begun.
“Yes, we have been starting to talk a little bit obviously, and we’ve had our meetings and everything else, and kind of just getting into it,” Wilson said.
The Steelers conduct exit interviews with everybody at the end of each season, and their future with the team is probably a part of that process. Based on what Wilson said, that exit interview already took place, and he and the team have begun preliminary talks on what an extension might look like.
During Mike Tomlin’s end-of-season press conference, he said the organization is open to bringing back Fields and starting him in 2025. He said there would likely be change at a lot of levels, and since there have been zero changes with the coaching staff as of yet, a change at quarterback is the next biggest thing they could do.
Wilson was brought in to elevate the offense and help the Steelers finally get over the hump in the playoffs, to actually win some games and compete for a Super Bowl. Through seven starts, Wilson made it seem like that could happen. He was 6-1 with the team and was on a 17-game pace for one of the best seasons of his career. The final five games, including the playoff loss, raised a lot of questions and likely forced the Steelers to reevaluate if Wilson is the correct option moving forward.
At 36 years old, he is going to be fighting Father Time every step of the way, and the Steelers are in need of a long-term solution so they don’t end up stuck in QB purgatory, where they’ve been since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Free agency begins in March. Both Wilson and Fields are pending unrestricted free agents. There is no real reason for them to sign a contract before the start of free agency because they can use the open market to help set their market and gain some bargaining power. Will Wilson get another chance to start elsewhere? What kind of contract would he have to be willing to sign for the Steelers to bring him back? They are the things that the Steelers, Wilson, and his agent will be hashing out over the next couple months.
