Ex-NFL QB Thinks Steelers Should Move on from Russell Wilson: ‘He Ain’t No Spring Chicken’
After a dreadful three-game losing streak, former NFL quarterback Cam Newton believes the Russell Wilson honeymoon in Pittsburgh is over. He thinks it would behoove of the franchise to move on from the 36-year-old quarterback after the season.
Newton would rather see the Steelers hand the job over to Justin Fields, who was the starter before Wilson was inserted into the starting lineup in Week 7.
“No. But you bring back Justin Fields though. And you develop him the right way though. Father Time ain’t on our side. [Wilson] ain’t no spring chicken,” Newton said on Friday’s First Take.
“Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson. Can Justin Fields by his ceiling — has he shown it consistently? No. But can he give you what those guys can? Yes. Develop him… he has not gotten that opportunity.”
Wilson is 6-4 as a starter this season. He has completed 64.6% of his passes for 2,334 yards with 15 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 97.4. He has regressed significantly in the last three games, however.
Fields was 4-2 as a starter in 2024, competing 66.2% of his passes for 1,106 yards with five touchdown and one interception. He has also rushed for 289 yards on 62 carries (4.6 average) and five touchdowns this year.
The Steelers are expected to re-sign Wilson this offseason, according to NFL insider Dianna Russini.
“The free-agent QB market is lacking, with Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson among the top names — though Wilson is expected to stay with the Steelers and the Vikings could decide to keep Darnold if he’s willing to be a backup,” Russini wrote in November.
Adam Schefter of ESPN had a similar report in regards to Wilson’s future in Pittsburgh.
“This is where they’re currently at,” Schefter said Thursday on Get Up. “You asked about the team’s situation in the future. They’d like to go ahead and keep Russell Wilson and re-sign him to keep him in Pittsburgh. But, even if they couldn’t, what do you want them to do with the quarterback position? Who’s going to be out there that’s an upgrade over Russell Wilson right now?
“There are two logical first-round quarterbacks in the draft. They’re not going to get either one of those. The top free-agent quarterbacks are going to be Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson. Is there another quarterback in the trade market that all of a sudden is going to spring free? Probably not. So, this is where the Steelers are.”
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