Report: Russell Wilson Wanted to Stay with Steelers Until Very End
Quarterback Russell Wilson wanted to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers up until signing with the New York Giants.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson joined the New York Giants on a one-year deal on Tuesday night. But he remained hopeful that he’d stay in Pittsburgh up until the very end.
Accord to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wilson always wanted to re-sign with the Steelers, right up until agreeing to a deal with the Giants.
That matches what Wilson’s message has been all year. The 36-year-old was not shy in expressing his desire to re-sign with the Steelers.
“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Wilson said. “I love it here and everything else. I think we have a great football team. Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, and I think there’s a lot more to do.”
However, that always seemed like the least likely scenario, given how the season ended. Wilson’s play took a downturn on the team’s five-game losing streak to end the season.
During that span, the Steelers failed to score more than 17 points in every game, a streak that hasn’t occurred since Chuck Noll’s first season in 1969.
Wilson’s play may not be the only reason why he’s not returning to Pittsburgh, though. There were also reports that Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith butted heads over changing plays at the line of scrimmage.
Either way, Wilson seemed to know he was on the outside looking in when he visited with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. Some believed he was just putting pressure on the Steelers to make a decision at quarterback, but it’s now clear that he was making a decision on where he wanted to play in 2025.
In 11 games, Wilson completed 214 of 316 passes (63.7%) for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 95.6 passer rating.