Should Russell Wilson Be One-and-Done with Steelers?
The three-game losing streak has said a lot about the Pittsburgh Steelers. For one, it has shown that the Steelers are not in the same stratosphere as the elite teams of the NFL. It could also be argued that Russell Wilson has been exposed. He has not performed well in the last three games, especially in the last two.
For this reason, Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports thinks Wilson should not return as the Steelers quarterback next season. The nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March.
“The Steelers played three games in 11 days, all against teams with 10-plus wins. The offensive numbers weren’t good, and neither was Wilson,” Kerr wrote. “Pittsburgh averages just 280.7 yards per game and 13.0 offensive points per game over the past three, all with Wilson at quarterback.
“Wilson has completed just 64.1% of his passes for 550 yards with three touchdowns to two interceptions and an 82.2 passer rating. The Steelers quarterback has also taken 10 sacks and has just a 73.3 passer rating when facing the blitz during the skid.”
Wilson, who turned 36 on Nov. 29, is 6-4 since entering the starting lineup in Week 7. He has completed 64.6% of his passes for 2,334 yards with 15 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 97.4.
Kerr thinks the Steelers are stuck in mediocrity, and doesn’t really see Wilson moving the needle as the starter for at least the next few years. He thinks Wilson has regressed, and looks like the Denver version.
“Not having George Pickens for two games hurt, but Wilson is completing just 45.1% of his passes with one touchdown and one interception (78.6 rating) on passes that traveled 10 air yards or more. The Steelers offense isn’t operating like it did earlier in the season, and part of that has to do with Wilson,” Kerr wrote.
“Is Wilson good enough to start? Yes, but the Steelers need an upgrade at quarterback if they are going to compete for a Super Bowl. Pittsburgh is not a Super Bowl contender with Wilson based on how the last three weeks have played out.”
Wilson revealed during a recent episode of Hard Knocks that he has no plans of leaving the Steel City following the 2024 season.
During the opening of Wilson and his wife Ciara’s first ‘Why Not You’ center in Pittsburgh, Wilson was asked by a young Steelers fan if likes playing in Pittsburgh.
“Yeah, I love it here. It’s awesome,” Wilson answered.
Wilson was then asked if he’s going to re-sign with the Steelers.
“Hopefully, I love it here. It’s cool. Hopefully we’re going to win a Super Bowl,” Wilson replied.
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.
“They’d like to go ahead and keep Russell Wilson and re-sign him to keep him in Pittsburgh…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,” Schefter said on Get Up on Thursday.
In a recent interview with Hannah Storm of ESPN, Wilson wasn’t shy about wanting to play much longer than a season or two.
“I definitely want to play another five to seven more years, you know, I think that’s always been my goal,” Wilson said when asked about his time left now that his children are growing up. “I’ve been very clear about that since the beginning. I think that’s always been my mindset is, you know, the longevity of the game.”
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