Adam Schefter gives Steelers QB gloomy outlook

The start of Russell Wilson’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t have gone better. But the last three games have been the opposite, which could cast doubt on Wilson’s future with the team.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter, however, argued that the Steelers don’t have much of a choice. If they want to continue to compete for a playoff spot in 2025, then they need to bring back Wilson.

“What do you want them to do at quarterback? » Schefter asked on ESPN’s Get Up on December 26, via The Steelers Depot. “Who’s going to be out there and who’s an improvement over Russell Wilson right now?

“There are two logical first-round quarterbacks in the draft. You will get neither. The top free agent quarterbacks will be Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson. Is there another quarterback on the trade market who will suddenly become available? Probably not.

“So this is where the Steelers are.”

Wilson completed 64.6 percent of his passes for an average of about 7.7 yards per attempt this season. He also has 15 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

That was more than enough to get the Steelers 6-1 in their first seven starts. But Wilson and the Steelers remained winless in three games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

Against these three Super Bowl contenders, Wilson averaged 5.9 passing yards and 183.3 passing yards per game. He also only had 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

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Steelers still want to bring back Russell Wilson?

Schefter began his argument by reporting that the Steelers wanted Wilson back. So in a way, Schefter’s point was moot because the team doesn’t seem interested in testing the quarterback market again.

But the insider’s point of view remains true. Last year, the Steelers went quarterback shopping because a few available quarterbacks likely offered an upgrade over Kenny Pickett. This is not the case for Wilson and the potential 2025 quarterback market.

So, for next season, Schefter said the Steelers will have to re-sign Wilson and find other ways to improve.

“They have to find a way to develop their squad and fight a turnover battle that they haven’t been able to fight to compete with the best teams,” Schefter added. “If they don’t make turnovers, they won’t win.”

The Steelers are 10-6 largely because of their plus-15 turnover margin. Entering Week 17, they held the second-best turnover differential in the NFL.

But over the last three games, the Steelers have a minus-2 turnover margin.

The Steelers were a little unlucky against the Ravens and Chiefs. They forced 4 fumbles on defense and special teams, but couldn’t recover any of them.

In a perfect world, however, the Steelers would be able to compete without always having to rely on takeaways.

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Is the door now open for Justin Fields to return to Pittsburgh?

Schefter made no mention of Justin Fields in his discussion of Wilson’s future in Pittsburgh. The general consensus among NFL experts is that Fields will not return to the Steelers in 2025, either because the team won’t be able to afford him with Wilson or because Fields will have the opportunity to start elsewhere.

But unless Wilson finishes the 2024 campaign on a high note, some fans will wonder if Fields is a better long-term option.

Noah Strackbein of Sports Illustrated argued that the Steelers should consider Fields over Wilson for Week 18.

“The Steelers have a decision to make. If they want to have a real chance of ending their playoff drought, they need to give Fields another chance,” Strackbein wrote. “Otherwise, they go into the last week of the season with a quarterback who is losing them games and ignoring that Russell Wilson’s magic apple has gone bad.”

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave no indication of a possibility during his Week 17 postgame press conference. But speculation about what the team should do at the starting position quarterbacks this offseason will likely be commonplace if Wilson fails to lead the team to a playoff victory.

Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a particular focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. A Pittsburgh native, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. Learn more about Dave Holcomb