ESPN: Steelers have not ruled out reunion with ex-Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

He was a model of stability in the Pacific Northwest. A third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2012, quarterback Russell Wilson took over Pete Carroll’s team as a rookie, and helped the club reach the playoffs. A very talented club would reach back-to-back Super Bowls in Wilson’s second and third seasons, defeating the Denver Broncos (XLVIII) and then letting one get away from them in XLIX.

Wilson’s 10-year stay with the Seahawks featured plenty of positives, but in 2022 he was part of a massive trade with the Broncos that sent him to the Mile High City. He was underwhelming in two seasons with the club, and he was given the pink slip in 2024. The quarterback-needy Pittsburgh Steelers picked him up off the scrapheap. At the same time, Mike Tomlin’s club swung a deal to acquire former first-round pick Justin Fields from the Bears.

The latter started the season while the former was nursing a summer calf injury. In Week 7, Wilson took over and was the starter the remainder of the season. He brought the long ball back to the offense. However, after a strong start, the club and the quarterback faded badly down the stretch. Including a playoff loss at Baltimore, Tomlin’s team enters 2025 riding a five-game losing streak.

Now here’s something to ponder. Both Wilson and Fields will hit the open market a week from Wednesday. There’s been a feeling that youth may be served in the Steel City and perhaps Wilson could be headed to a fourth time in five years. Obviously, no real definitive decision has been reached—according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “There is sentiment for Fields in the building, and both sides would be open to a return. The Steelers have at least another week to crystallize those plans, and they certainly haven’t ruled out Wilson at this point.”

Finding a successor to Ben Roethlisberger has been a “big” problem for Steelers’ management. Having either Wilson or Fields return may prove to be another Band-Aid. Of course, general manager Omar Khan may have something up his sleeve in late April.

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