Russell Wilson might be headed for his third new team in three years following a report that the Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t interested in bringing him back for the 2025 season.
Wilson, a one-time Super Bowl champion and 10-time Pro Bowler, threw for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 starts during his lone season in Pittsburgh. He had a 6-5 record while posting a completion percentage of 63.7%.
Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer Provides Russell Wilson Update
Wilson signed with Pittsburgh on a one-year deal last offseason, with many predicting his return to the Steelers in 2025 considering the franchise’s shaky quarterback situation. In fact, Wilson went on record in late January saying that negotiations on a contract extension had started.
“Yes, we have been starting to talk a little bit,” Wilson told Pat McAfee. “We’ve had our meetings and everything else, just getting into it. So I think that it’s an exciting time to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and the opportunity of what we can do.”
Not so fast.
According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Wilson isn’t expected to re-up in Pittsburgh as he heads toward an uncertain future in free agency.
The 36-year-old quarterback had also been linked to a reunion with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas after the former Seahawks coach took the Raiders’ top job, but Glazer doesn’t believe Wilson is a top option there either.
“I think you’ll see a new start for Russell somewhere,” Glazer said.
When asked about the possibility of Wilson reuniting with Carroll, Glazer added: “I don’t think that’s gonna happen, either.”
It’s an interesting report when looking at Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation. Justin Fields served as Wilson’s backup last season, but he’s also an impending free agent.
The former No. 11 overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft could cash in from a quarterback-needy team in free agency — don’t rule out the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders — despite an up-and-down year with the Steelers.
Fields went 4-2 in six starts last season in Pittsburgh, throwing for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. He also rushed for 289 yards on 62 carries and provided five scores on the ground. Though he didn’t qualify due to minimum attempt threshold, Fields would have finished No. 15 in PFN’s QB+ metric had he maintained his level of play.
Arthur Smith Butted Heads With Russell Wilson
Glazer’s report comes on the heels of a damaging story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette saying that Wilson “butted heads” with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith at times last season.
Coach and quarterback didn’t always see eye-to-eye on the offensive philosophy, with Smith chiding Wilson for changing plays at the line of scrimmage. The whole dynamic of their relationship seemed a bit off.
Glazer touched on those in-house issues during his appearance on the Fantasy Football Happy Hour as he went into detail on how their relationship soured.
“I think Arthur Smith did a hell of a job there this year with both those guys,” Glazer said. “He got a lot out of Justin, got way more out of Russell than I thought [was possible]. And I think the problem, too, the way I saw it was, [Smith said], ‘Hey Russ, you’re gonna play Steelers football. We’re okay being a 3rd-and-2 team.’ There’s no ‘Let Russ Cook’ stuff anymore.
“And I think when they started having success, Russ was like, ‘Oh, this is me. I got this.’ They’re like, ‘No, no, no, no, no. Get back to how we were doing it!’ But that’s Russell. And I get it, you have to have a certain ego to play that [way] and be great at that position.”
Steelers Experience Roller-Coaster Production
While his first games with the Steelers gave fans hope, Wilson struggled to consistently command the offense down the line, prompting calls for Fields.
The veteran appeared rejuvenated in Weeks 7 through 14, producing 1,784 yards and 12 touchdowns (three interceptions) with a 64.2% completion average. But when faced with three playoff teams and the resurgent Cincinnati Bengals to close out the season, Wilson fell off a cliff — and the offense right along with it.
According to PFN’s QB+ metric, Wilson struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter (28th) and had a 38.8% conversion rate on third down (17th).
“This year was an exciting year in a lot of ways,” Wilson said. “It was tough at the end. We didn’t get it done, but I’ve got so much more in me, man.”
NFL fans must patiently wait to find out whether that “so much more” will be in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
