Though many local and national media figures believe Russell Wilson won’t return to the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the league’s biggest insiders continues pushing back. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Wilson is optimistic to return. And he gets it from the source himself.
“I was with Russell on Friday and I’m just telling you, the tone that I got from him was entirely different than reports that are out there,” Schefter told the show when asked about reports of Wilson’s imminent departure. “We’ll see what winds up happening, whether or not he’s back there.
“But I think he feels like there’s definitely a chance he’s gonna be back there. He’s having conversations with the organization about the future and where it’s gonna go. Now again, there’s still a lot that’s gonna play out here, but I think he definitely thinks that he may be back in Pittsburgh.”
That echoes reporting Schefter made yesterday, presumably in part due to the conversation the two had Friday, of the door being open to a Pittsburgh return.
Based on the language Schefter’s used, it seems Wilson and the Steelers are in contract talks, something Wilson suggested during an interview with The Pat McAfee Show last month. Talks with Justin Fields seem to be cooler with Schefter reporting Sunday there could be a bustling market for Fields that didn’t exist a year ago. A season with the “stable Steelers” and progression in his game, cutting down on mistakes and leading Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start, has the NFL enticed. A down year with more limited draft options than a season ago doesn’t hurt, either.
Turning to Wilson wouldn’t be the first time Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have done it. They were the first to phone him after becoming a free agent last offseason, the team who inked him to his contract, and Tomlin pivoted to Wilson once healthy in Week 7 despite Fields’ solid play. Though it may feel like an upset to the outside world should a deal get done, it won’t be a shock to Adam Schefter. Or Russell Wilson.
