With Justin Fields seemingly on track to remain the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback until further notice, some within the NFL community suggest that Pittsburgh should trade veteran Russell Wilson to the Dolphins since Miami starter Tua Tagovailoa may be out indefinitely due to his latest concussion.
NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk dismissed that idea during a recent appearance on Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan.
“The moment you trade Russell Wilson is the moment that you have only [journeyman] Kyle Allen as your insurance behind Justin Fields,” Florio said about Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation, as shared by Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot.
While the Steelers started the season at 3-0, numerous stats show that Fields was largely a game manager more than an elite quarterback over those contests. It’s possible that Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could either turn to Wilson when he’s fully recovered from his lingering calf issue or hold onto Wilson as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option if Fields either goes down with an injury or endures a losing run of play.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported this past Wednesday that Miami “making a flashy move for a quarterback” anytime soon “doesn’t seem likely” because “Tagovailoa wants to play again this season.” Tagovailoa will be eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 8 (Miami’s bye is Week 6), but it’s unknown if doctors will clear him to play by then.
Wilson signed a team-friendly contract with a no-trade clause to join the Steelers this past March. Logic suggests he wouldn’t want to make a midseason move unless he knew, for sure, he’d eventually be named that club’s starter this fall.
“The Steelers have a guy who has won a Super Bowl and been to another Super Bowl for the lowest you can pay a guy with 10 or more years of service,” Florio said about Wilson. “That is a huge bargain. Why would you move on from that guy?”
For various reasons, 66 quarterbacks started at least one regular-season game during the 2023 campaign. That alone shows why Pittsburgh may want to do whatever possible to keep Wilson and Fields happy through and beyond the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
