Steelers' Russell Wilson Is Now A Valuable "First-Round Pick" Trade Asset And Pittsburgh Is In The Driver's Seat

The Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves in an unexpected quarterback situation. After bringing Russell Wilson on board early in the offseason, the plan was to start him and allow the younger Justin Fields to develop behind him. However, Wilson suffered a calf injury at the start of training camp that allowed Fields the opportunity to step up and play with the first-team offense. 

Wilson still wasn't well enough to play Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, nor Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. Fields performed well enough for the Steelers to pull off wins, but they weren't decisive victories. The offense seemed to struggle, and there is concern that Head Coach Mike Tomlin has new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith handcuffed, not allowing Fields to take shots down the field. This is especially concerning since there were multiple successful connections between Fields and star wide receiver George Pickens; penalties negated some, but the chemistry is there. 

All of this begs the question about who the Steelers' starting quarterback is. Will it remain Fields even once Wilson is healthy? Or is it still Wilson? At what point has Fields played enough, or well enough, that it is unfair to take the job away from him? Former NFL Head Coach turned analyst Rex Ryan believes that the Steelers might capitalize upon trading Wilson, rather than playing him. 

On a recent episode of the ESPN show Get Up, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said that Fields is and should remain the starting quarterback. This led host Mike Greenberg to ask Ryan what he would do with Wilson. He wondered if a team loses their starting quarterback, would you call Pittsburgh? 

"I think he'd be the number one guy," said Ryan. "You would call, there is no doubt. Here's what you ask for, you ask for a first-round pick, and 'Oh, there's no way in h**l! Give them a fourth.' Why would Pittsburgh trade him? Unless it's a first-round pick, they're not going to trade him. Because their situation is good. Everybody knows you need two quarterbacks in this league. I'm telling you, what is the price of a starting quarterback in this league? It's a first-round pick. So the only way you make that move for Russell Wilson is if you're a team that has lost their starting quarterback and you think you are a playoff contention team. I don't know, is there one like that right now? There very well could be in Miami, correct?"

The Miami Dolphins are facing a difficult quarterback situation. Tua Tagovailoa, the former Alabama standout, has helped Miami make the playoffs the past few seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2023. Unfortunately, he has struggled with a series of concussions during his professional career, including one during Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. This led to questions about Tagovailoa's future in the league. While Tagovailoa has said that he has no plans to retire just yet, he may not have a choice at some point. Miami recently announced that they have signed Tyler Huntley, but Wilson has a different pedigree. Being able to pick up a first-round draft pick for Wilson would certainly be tempting for the Steelers. 

Steelers' Russell Wilson Missed His Revenge Opportunity

The Steelers started their season on the road with two games, which gave both Smith and Wilson opportunities to show up to their old teams. Unfortunately for Wilson, he lost that opportunity as he had to stand on the sideline and watch Fields cover for him. 

After the game was over, Fields told the media that everyone knew Denver had "done dirty" Wilson and that the team was glad to get a win for him. Tomlin gave Wilson a petty game ball to commemorate the win.  

The Steelers may be 2-0 heading into their home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers at Acrisure Stadium in Week 3, but work still needs to be done. 

What do you think about trading Wilson? What is he worth? Click to comment below. 

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