NFL Trade Rumors: Pittsburgh Steelers Want Quarterback Russell Wilson Back in 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have found their quarterback. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Steelers believe Russell Wilson is their starting quarterback of the future thanks to his performance over the past six games.

A look forward for the #Steelers, as their starting QB for 2025 is almost certainly on roster. Russell Wilson has seized that starting role and run with it.

My story: https://t.co/7nMhvxJnDU https://t.co/7nMhvxJnDU
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 8, 2024

It's no wonder the Steelers are excited about Wilson: He has led the Steelers to a 5-1 record since taking over the starting job from Justin Fields in Week 7. Over that period, he has played some of the best football of his career, passing for 271.0 yards per game at an efficient 7.46 net yards per passing attempt. Both of those would be career highs for Wilson if they hold until the end of the season, and they're translating to winning football. The Steelers have averaged an excellent 28.7 points per game with Wilson on the field.

The Steelers may want Wilson back in 2025, but his contract situation will complicate things. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal last offseason due in part to offset language in his previous contract with the Denver Broncos, and he'll be an unrestricted free agent in March.

Wilson's next contract will be one of the most intriguing subplots of the offseason. The Steelers will have the option of applying the franchise tag, which is projected to cost around $40 million on a one-year deal.

However, the franchise tag may not be necessary. Wilson's tumultuous run with the Broncos may still weigh heavily in negotiations, and given his age (36), it's difficult to predict how hot a commodity he'll be on the open market. It's possible he may have to settle for a second-tier contract that takes his history (and failures) into consideration, similar to the deals Geno Smith signed with the Seattle Seahawks (three years, $75 million) in 2023 and Baker Mayfield inked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (three years, $100 million) in 2024.

There's still a lot of football to be played this year, and the postseason will go a long way toward establishing Wilson's true value. Still, he and the Steelers clearly have a good thing going, and they should do whatever they can to sustain their current run. So long as Wilson is playing well, he should be a Steeler.