Based on everything their decision makers have been saying, it sounds like the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to seriously try to bring back Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. After the way the 2024 season ended, some fans might be upset if the team chooses to pursue Wilson. He started off hot but made too many mistakes down the stretch. As an older quarterback, it’s unclear if he’s going to take another step back as well. Despite all of that, former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck believes the Steelers should stick with Wilson.
“If Russell Wilson was your guy, you basically chose him over Fields a year ago,” Hasselbeck said recently on NFL Live. “That was the bed you made, stick with it. See if you can continue to build on it with Russ. I think another year may be healthy to start the season. Those types of things may bode a little bit better for you and how your offense performs.”
That might not be the best logic from Hasselbeck. Yes, the Steelers picked Wilson over Fields last year, but that doesn’t mean they have to do it again. Both players are free agents, and the Steelers aren’t locked into bringing either of them back. Allowing a decision made in Week 7 last year to influence their choice now isn’t wise.
The Steelers saw more than enough of Wilson to re-evaluate where they stand with him. Last offseason, it felt like he owned the starting job, no matter what Fields did. On the field, he wasn’t anything special. In fact, he played a hand in many of the Steelers’ losses to end the season.
It’s tough to argue that things will be any different with Wilson in 2025. He could have a fuller offseason with the team, but is that going to change the type of player he is? Probably not. The Steelers can get just as much consistency with Fields, and he’s younger with more upside. The Steelers shouldn’t tie themselves to Wilson just because they went with him last year.
It feels like that would be a disservice to this process. The Steelers have continued to preach that they want to compete for a Super Bowl in 2025. It doesn’t feel like Wilson gives them the best chance to do that. Everyone saw how that went last year. Fields might not be much better, but at least he provides hope that things could be different. Retaining Wilson would feel underwhelming.
