Report: Steelers Not On Russell Wilson's Radar
With news surfacing last week that the 2021 NFL season will likely be Ben Roethlisberger's final season as the quarterback in the Steel City, It's even more clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in the hunt for a quarterback in the offseason.
One of the more attractive possibilities is current Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson.
NFL insider Jordan Shultz said that the seven-time Pro Bowler would consider waiving his no-trade clause for three teams: The New York Giants, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.
Wilson was reportedly unhappy last offseason before hemming things up with the Seahawks organization. With Seattle sitting in last place in the NFC West and without a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, it sounds like a full-on rebuild could be in order. There has always been speculation that Wilson has been frustrated by the fact that Seattle has often pushed back on the idea of running a more modern offense, including giving him more freedom to run the hurry-up. Pete Carrol, who just turned 70 years old, is one of the more old-school thinkers in the league- putting a strong emphasis on running the football.
If Pittsburgh wants to take a big swing at a signal-caller in free agency, there will likely be a good amount of competition. In particular, Denver is flush with draft picks with five selections in the first three rounds. They also boast one of the youngest, most impressive group of skill position players in the league featuring Javonte Williams, Courtland Sutton, among others. New Orleans' pitch is pretty simple; Sean Payton is one of the best offensive minds in the world and helped mold Drew Brees into a Hall of Famer. The attraction to New York is interesting and could have something to do with playing in a bigger market.
While Wilson would be leaving behind one of the better receiver tandems in the league in Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, he will likely look for improved offensive play compared to what he's lined up behind in Seattle over the years.
Plenty of media mics have linked Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers next season, as he has also been In a rift with his organization in recent years. There is also a ton of uncertainty surrounding Texans Quarterback Deshaun Watson. The only thing that seems for certain in that situation is that he's played his final down in Houston. More big fish seem to be in the sea for the taking than ever before.
Pittsburgh ultimately does have plenty to bring to the table if they choose to get involved. Mike Tomlin is a very highly regarded head coach, the organization is a model for stability, and they have three of the best defensive players in the world, all in or near their primes: T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cam Heyward.
On their end, it will likely come down to whether or not that they feel like they are close to competing for the franchise's seventh Super Bowl ring. After all, the asking price for a quarterback of Wilson's or Rodgers' caliber will be astronomically high, including multiple first-round picks. But elite quarterbacks are worth their weight in gold, the Steelers would clearly understand this after having Roethlisberger in the building for all of these years.
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