Steelers Rumors: No interest in Russell Wilson; not pursuing Fields or Cousins

The moment Russell Wilson's $245 million contract extension kicks in on the new league year, the Denver Broncos plan to cut the pricey quarterback, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported. The trade for Wilson will go down as one of the worst in NFL history because of the price it took for Denver to acquire him via trade during the 2022 offseason.

Though Wilson didn't come remotely close to earning his lofty contract numbers, the nine-time Pro Bowler will officially be back on the market when free agency opens up on March 13th. This makes for an interesting predicament for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh currently has one of the worst quarterback situations in the league, and there have been rumors that Wilson may be willing to sign for the veteran minimum on his next team.

But the Steelers don't want any part of this.

According to a recent report from Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Pittsburgh is 'not interested' in signing Russell Wilson once he is officially released by the Broncos at the start of free agency.

"The Steelers are not interested in signing Wilson in the likely event he’s released by the Denver Broncos, a source familiar with the coaching staff’s feelings on the quarterback at this stage of his career told The Athletic.

Additionally, Pittsburgh is not among the teams actively working to trade for [Justin] Fields, league sources told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Pittsburgh is also not pursuing Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield in free agency, according to league sources."

- Mike DeFabo, via The Athletic

DeFabo also noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers are not actively pursuing a trade for Justin Fields, nor are they going after Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield in free agency.

Steelers are blowing a big opportunity to improve on offense

This is the last thing that many Steelers fans wanted to hear. Pittsburgh averaged a dismal 16.9 offensive points per game last season, and it is evident that the team needs an upgrade at the position.

I'm not going to try to convince you that Russell Wilson is the answer for this team. At most, the 35-year-old would have been a stop-gap option who would have helped this team improve slightly on offense. At least Wilson has played in plenty of big games with loads of playoff experience.

What's more disappointing is that the team won't be taking a swing at a quarterback at all. Justin Fields is a polarizing figure who wouldn't be guaranteed to succeed in Pittsburgh, but the physical tools are undeniable, and a fresh start with a better organization could have jumpstarted his career. After all, Fields is younger than Kenny Pickett.

It's also a bit discouraging that a free agent like Kirk Cousins won't even be considered, according to DeFabo's report. There's no question that either of these players would have offered a significant boost to Pittsburgh's offense in 2024.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan have made it clear that they still believe in Pickett. This is a risky game to play for a quarterback who has 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 25 games (just a 78.8 career passer rating). The Steelers want to see what Pickett can do with a new offensive coordinator.

Pittsburgh's unwillingness to aggressively pursue an upgrade at the QB position is discouraging. Let's hope Tomlin and the front office aren't making a colossal mistake.

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