It’s not 100% clear who the Pittsburgh Steelers might prefer to bring back at quarterback for the 2025 season. But Russell Wilson has made it known he wants to return.
Wilson made his intentions clear again while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on January 22. After his appearance, Wilson quote tweeted a clip from the show with a 7-word caption.
“Love my teammates! Best days are ahead,” wrote Wilson.
Wilson will be an unrestricted free agent in March. He was also an unrestricted free agent last offseason when the Steelers signed him to a 1-year contract.
Including the playoffs, Wilson went 6-6 as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback during the 2024 campaign. In 11 regular season games, he posted a 63.7% completion percentage with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions while averaging 7.4 yards per pass.
Russell Wilson Raves About Steelers Teammates
Wilson has gained the reputation around the league for having an uber-positive attitude. That’s been a bit of a blessing and a curse for the quarterback.
While some have accused him of being fake, others likely see his highly complimentary nature as one of his more endearing traits. The quarterback was his fully complimentary self while addressing his Pittsburgh teammates during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on January 22.
“When you’ve got playmakers around you, it always makes it fun,” Wilson told McAfee. “George Pickens is such a freak athlete out there, and Pat Freiermuth, I thought, had a great year. I think the biggest star to this season, really, was just Calvin Austin. His emergence and his work ethic [were tremendous].
“And obviously the guys up front. They do a great job of just battling every play and just giving us a chance to make plays.”
Similar to his personality, one could view Wilson’s inclusion of Calvin Austin III two different ways. Although it was nice he gave a shoutout to the lesser-known Steelers playmaker, the fact Wilson placed Austin on the same level of playmaking ability as George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth was maybe part of the issue during the season.
Far too often in 2024, Wilson targeted Austin down the field for a jump ball opportunity. Austin stands at 5-foot-9, which doesn’t make him well suited for that kind of play.
Meanwhile, Pickens is one of the best bad-ball catchers in the NFL.
Regardless, Wilson clearly wanted McAfee’s audience to know he loved all his teammates in Pittsburgh. The quarterback also reiterated that he wants to return.
“Going into Pittsburgh was a special place for me. I love it,” he added. “Hopefully I can play there a lot longer.
“It’s a special place because of the guys in the locker room, the traditions and the people and the winning. You’ve got all of that plus Mike Tomlin, one of the best coaches of all time.”
Will the Steelers Bring Back Wilson or Justin Fields?
At Thanksgiving, there was little question that Wilson would be back in Pittsburgh for 2025. But after ending the season on a 5-game losing streak, the narrative has flipped.
Few pundits seem to be predicting Wilson will return to the Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac explained on January 18 why Wilson likely won’t return.
“When Wilson and the Steelers agreed to a one-year, veteran minimum contract in March, it was done so with both sides intending to sign a longer deal after the season,” Dulac wrote. “But, with the way the season ended with five consecutive losses and a disconnect existing with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, that deal might not materialize.
“Wilson was brought here to help end the playoff victory drought, and it didn’t happen.”
Dulac added that bringing in another veteran signal caller to replace Wilson doesn’t make sense. The Steelers have the No. 21 overall pick, so drafting a signal caller to start in 2025 doesn’t seem very likely either.
But the Steelers could re-sign Justin Fields, who is 10 years younger than Wilson. Due to that age difference, Fields has more long-term upside. Fields went 4-2 as a starting quarterback for the Steelers in 2024.
Until a final decision is made, though, it seems Wilson is going to publicly campaign for himself to return to the black and gold.
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