With the Pittsburgh Steelers' disappointing season ending in Baltimore, the question of who is leading the offense in the 2025 season can no longer be pushed to the side as much as Mike Tomlin may want. With both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson set to hit free agency this offseason, the Steelers have to make their decision swiftly. They were able to see both in starting situations, but Wilson has left a sour taste in the mouths of fans with his last five performances. This has led to many believing that Wilson's short-lived run in Pittsburgh should end and to let him find a new home in 2025. While the ending isn't how Wilson had planned for it to go since he wanted to bring home Pittsburgh's seventh Lombardi Trophy, he still believes he played well this season.
Wilson reflected on the 2024 season with the media during the Steelers' clean out day, believing that he had played well overall in his 12 total starts for Pittsburgh. There were some plays that he would have liked to have back, like the infamous interception against the Kansas City Chiefs and the pick-six he threw against the Baltimore Ravens.
"I thought I played well," said Wilson. "There were moments I wished I played a little bit better."
Wilson started out of the gates hot for the Steelers, winning in his first four starts and even adding a 414 yard game through the air against the Cincinnati Bengals in their first meeting of the season. Unfortunately for him, things unraveled quickly once they visited the Philadelphia Eagles and the bleeding wouldn't stop from there on out. He finished the last four games of the regular season 0-4 and had two games under 150 yards passing. He couldn't get anything to work early on for the Steelers in their Wild Card appearance as in the first half, all four drives that he led ended with punts with two three and outs.
Wilson would finish his 2024 campaign with 2,482 yards passing including 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions -- also adding 155 yards rushing with 2 touchdowns. Wilson has made it clear that he wants to come back to Pittsburgh next season and be a part of this organization, but with his poor ending to the season, it might not be up to him.
The Steelers have been trying to find the next long-term replacement of Ben Roethlisberger with zero luck to show for it. They have went through Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Fields, and Wilson, which they still likely cannot say if they are confident with him for 2025.
For Wilson, the Steelers would have to agree with him that his first year in Pittsburgh was good enough to bring him back. With the late season flop, some would expect that the Steelers could move on, either with Fields or bringing in someone new. Wilson's outlook on his season might not be shared with the coaching staff or the front office; fans will soon find out when Omar Khan hands out the contracts this offseason.
Steelers' Looming Decision At Quarterback Will Have All Eyes On Pittsburgh
The Steelers had hoped that the answer for their starting quarterback would have been solved in the 2024 season, but it seems to have opened up more questions for the organization. Wilson believes he played well this season, despite the horrendous last five games. The Steelers know this offseason is important, knowing that they need to do something to turn around their playoff win drought. Wilson will have to wait and see if the Steelers believed that he did play well enough for a second contract.
Do you agree that Wilson played well this season for the Steelers? Should Pittsburgh give Wilson another shot or move onto someone else? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
