Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott didn't mince words after a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday brought the team's season to an end.

"I know that in the past we've played well in the beginning of the season, and then we just s--t the bed at the end, and same s--t happened this year," he said. "Closed the season out on a five-game losing streak, including the playoffs. So we got to figure out what's the problem. We got to figure out how to get better. We got to figure out how to get past that point. We got to figure out how to finish strong in seasons to go into the playoffs."

Elliott also addressed the Ravens collectively running for 299 yards, which set a new franchise record:

DeShon Elliott speaks to the media. pic.twitter.com/OeoQeMm0wp

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 12, 2025

His comments will sum up the wider frustration within the fanbase.

The Steelers have remained one of the NFL's most consistent teams under head coach Mike Tomlin, but consistency isn't always a good thing. Sure, Pittsburgh has yet to finish with a losing record in Tomlin's 18 years, but it also hasn't won a playoff game since 2016.

There was nothing about the Steelers tonight that screamed "well coached team" And there is absolutely zero legitimate argument to continue with Mike Tomlin. Not one. It should be over. It won't be but it should be.

— Paul Zeise (@PaulZeise) January 12, 2025

When someone tells me how quickly Mike Tomlin would be hired by another team if he and the Steelers parted ways: pic.twitter.com/9IqsJeHMAM

— Chris Mueller (@ChrisMuellerPGH) January 12, 2025

Especially for a franchise with six Super Bowl titles, simply reaching the postseason won't cut it after a while. And with Tomlin, it's becoming increasingly hard to see how the Steelers' trajectory will change with him still on the sideline.

Whether it's the coaching staff, the future of starting quarterback Russell Wilson as he hits free agency, or other big personnel moves, Elliott's postgame reaction underlines how Pittsburgh's front office is facing a consequential offseason.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin thought Russell Wilson showed some leadership on the field but that the starting quarterback mirrored his team in not rising to the occasion in Saturday's 28-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It was like our play: It wasn't good enough," Tomlin told reporters after the game. "I just love the spirit in which he continued to fight, the way he led the group out of the locker room after the half. But certainly, none of us were good enough tonight."

Mike Tomlin on Russell Wilson
‘Wasn’t good enough’ pic.twitter.com/YvaUDdOxch

— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) January 12, 2025

Wilson went 20-of-29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns, numbers that are somewhat misleading. He had only 44 passing yards through the first half, by which point Pittsburgh trailed 21-0. A strong second half only counts for so much when the Steelers had to climb out of such a steep hole.

Wilson's performance inevitably led fans to question both his future in Pittsburgh and overall now value now that he'll be a free agent again.

"It's truly been a blessing in my life," the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback said. "It's been one of the best years for me personally to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. Obviously, I hope I'm here and everything else. I trust God in whatever that is. It's a special, special place. I know God brought me here for a reason. It gave me so much joy being here."

A calf injury forced Wilson to miss the start of the regular season, and he didn't take over as the starter until Week 7. Tomlin's choice to elevate him was somewhat contentious since Pittsburgh was 4-2 with Justin Fields at the helm.

Early on, Wilson repaid his coach's faith by providing a different dimension to the passing game with his downfield throwing. Over time, however, his production tailed off a bit and Saturday's loss capped off the slide.

In total, Wilson appeared in 11 games during the regular season and threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding two rushing touchdowns. Pittsburgh went 6-5 in the games he started to finish with a 10-7 record and earned the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs.

A month ago, the signs all pointed to Wilson returning to the Steel City with a sizable pay raise from his $1.2 million salary. It was hard to envision how the Steelers could plausibly upgrade at quarterback.

Now, the front office might be left to ask some difficult questions about the 36-year-old.

Russell Wilson says he hopes to play again for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2024 season ended with a Saturday night wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

"The Pittsburgh Steelers organization, man. It's been such a blessing to be here," Wilson said in his postgame interview following the 28-14 loss. "The guys that we have, the organization, it's truly first class. We love the city, obviously, and what it means, not just to me and Ciara and our family, but just also the National Football League.

"It's a special place, with special guys. We've got a special coach in Coach Tomlin. We've got a special organization, special people, special players, special fanbase. It's been truly a blessing in my life. It's been one of the best years for me, personally, to be a Pittsburgh Steeler."

Wilson continued: "Obviously, I hope I'm here, and everything else. I trust God, whatever that is."

Russell Wilson speaks to the media. pic.twitter.com/cQh8LIy9Qx

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 12, 2025

Wilson threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday night as the Steelers suffered their sixth straight playoff loss under Tomlin.

The Pittsburgh offense went 5-for-11 on third down attempts, while the defense struggled to contain Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' run game.

The Steelers went into the halftime break staring down a 21-point deficit, and never got any closer than 14 points before conceding the loss.

"I think that any time that you're seeking something that we're seeking, to win another Super Bowl here and everything else, there's always highs and lows," Wilson said. "I think that, more importantly, I believe in the guys that we have."

Wilson continued: "The best part about the game was, the guys didn't give up. I think that's, in the National Football League, sometimes guys check out. And they didn't. We didn't. We gave it our all, we continued to fight, continued to swing. That's why I love the guys on this team."

The Steelers roster is set for some significant change this offseason, especially given the team's late-season collapse. A club that was competing for the AFC North title at the beginning of December has not held a lead in any game since a Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8.

Wilson is now one of more than a dozen free agents, including quarterback Justin Fields, the Steelers could be parting ways with this offseason.

Steelers key free agents this off-season: QB Russell Wilson, QB Justin Fields, RB Najee Harris, OT Dan Moore Jr., CB Donte Jackson, WR Mike Williams, WR Van Jefferson, LB Elandon Roberts, G James Daniels, S Damontae Kazee, TE MyCole Pruitt, CB Cameron Sutton, CB C.J. Henderson, G…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2025

Wilson signed a one-year veteran minimum deal to join the Steelers for the 2024 campaign while he was still getting paid by the Denver Broncos.

His next contract will look different now that the Broncos are set to stop paying him ahead of the 2025 season. The Steelers will need to consider whatever raise Wilson is seeking when determining whether to re-sign him this offseason.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers' 28-14 wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, head coach Mike Tomlin addressed speculations surrounding the future of the team's quarterback room.

"I'm not ready to take a big-picture approach. You know, I'm really assessing what happened today, and I'm certainly appreciative of the efforts tonight, but I can say that largely for the entire season," Tomlin told reporters after the game (2:50 mark). "They're two quality people, three quality people at the quarterback position, and really appreciate what they poured into this."

Both Russell Wilson and backup quarterback Justin Fields are headed for free agency this offseason. Third-string quarterback Kyle Allen will also become a free agent.

Coach Tomlin addresses the media following our game against the Ravens. pic.twitter.com/cb48JNF5ma

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 12, 2025

Wilson, who started Saturday's game, completed 20-of-29 passes for 270 yards, with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Fields started in six games and finished the season with a 65.8 completion rate, five touchdowns and one interception.

Tomlin did not believe the team as a whole did enough on Saturday, not singling out quarterback Wilson, but acknowledging that he was part of that group.

"(Wilson's play), it was like our play, it wasn't good enough," Tomlin told reporters. "Again man, I just love the spirit in which he continued to fight, the way he led the group out of the locker room at the half... but certainly none of us were good enough tonight."

The 36-year-old helped Pittsburgh secure a winning season in his first year with the team, not starting until Week 7 in a 37-15 victory over the New York Jets.

However, finishing the season on a five-game losing streak after a 10-3 start, combined with the free agency of all three quarterbacks, will raise significant questions heading into the offseason—questions that will likely include Tomlin's future as well.

Tomlin has never had a losing season, with an overall record of 183-107-2. However, with no Super Bowl appearance since 2010 and no playoff win since 2016, a potential trade for Tomlin may become a realistic consideration.

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 season finished with a five-game losing streak.

Despite a 10-3 start, the Steelers lost four straight games to end the regular season and finished with a whimper in a 28-14 Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Final. @PALottery pic.twitter.com/nGmvpQmaEq

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 12, 2025

RAVENS LET RUSS COOK AND ADVANCE TO THE DIVISIONAL 🔥🧑‍🍳 pic.twitter.com/9chA3f44Ad

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 12, 2025

The Ravens produced 464 offensive yards and limited Pittsburgh to just 280. Running back Derrick Henry had 26 carries for 186 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Lamar Jackson went 18-of-21 for 175 yards and two touchdowns while adding 15 carries for 81 yards.

The Steelers saw a solid day from Russell Wilson, as went 20-of-29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns, but a lackluster run game and WIlson's inability to truly elevate the offense did not help the production.

Fans took to social media to debate Wilson's future with the team.

Is this Russell Wilson’s last game? I can’t see him being a placeholder or a backup. I also can’t see anyone handing him the full-season starting job.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 12, 2025

Russell Wilson when his first read isn’t there. pic.twitter.com/0cZPAscmyd

— BeardedBlevins (@BeardedBlevins) January 12, 2025

Russell Wilson 7 of 9 for 44 yards while down 21-0 😬😬 pic.twitter.com/LdJDdTDvtO

— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) January 12, 2025

Russell Wilson should NOT be our quarterback in 2025

— ⟣alyssa⟢ (@lyssax_) January 12, 2025

The Russell Wilson experiment has failed. put Justin in while we still have a shot.

— Andrea (@queenandi412) January 12, 2025

Russell Wilson after he curls up and runs into a sack in the pocket pic.twitter.com/LsijiS5DZD

— 𝙆𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙖𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖 (@dreamzz_kidd) January 12, 2025

Broncos fans watching Russell Wilson ruin the Steelers postseason. pic.twitter.com/cAbIynddtC

— Tyler Roney (@TylerJRoney) January 12, 2025

The “I’m proud of the fight” postgame comments from Tomlin and Russell Wilson are going to be nails on a chalkboard.

— Mike Nicastro (@MikedUpSports1) January 12, 2025

i hate maybe 5 people in the world and russell wilson is 3 of them

— 𝔃𝓪 (@SteeIDick) January 12, 2025

Russell Wilson dropping back on 4th and 15 with the game on the line: pic.twitter.com/nxz0U9kbkw

— MacMally 🍀 (@MacMallyMMA) January 12, 2025

Russell Wilson trying to decide between Cancun and Cabo for vacation next week pic.twitter.com/rCPnJiees0

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) January 12, 2025

Fans also took to social media to debate head coach Mike Tomlin's future with the team.

Justin fields runs this for a first down instead it’s a Russell Wilson sack lmao Mike tomlin gotta be fired for still playing Russ pic.twitter.com/mWJnoabB2J

— John (@iam_johnw) January 12, 2025

Mike Tomlin really might be the most overrated coach in NFL history.

He gets destroyed in the playoffs every year but he gets a pass because his teams are always pretty good in the regular season.

He is the NFL version of Doc Rivers. He won a ring and has did nothing since. pic.twitter.com/JSsbpysqG8

— Scott Reichel (@ReichelRadio) January 12, 2025

Mike Tomlin after he gets 10 wins in the regular season pic.twitter.com/nZMF24KA3r

— Dan Gamble (@_DannyGamble) January 12, 2025

Mike Tomlin every year after winning 10 games and sleepwalking in the playoffs: pic.twitter.com/ni5pO1ergp

— theScore (@theScore) January 12, 2025

Mike Tomlin once he gets the Steelers to the playoffs with a winning record: pic.twitter.com/zJ8QYxED5w

— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) January 12, 2025

me showing up every year to suffer through the annual mike tomlin first round playoff exit
pic.twitter.com/M3UvOH8DdW

— ego (@notmalkinego) January 12, 2025

*Mike Tomlin in the playoffs every year* pic.twitter.com/b0RxVCPq5L

— Cory Tucek (@Cory_Tucek) January 12, 2025

Every Mike Tomlin playoff game looks the exact same.. tired of it pic.twitter.com/fT5V4MC3tt

— Ryan Sloniger (@R_Sloni4) January 12, 2025

I’m sorry, Mike Tomlin. It’s over. pic.twitter.com/9Wh7rW05XY

— Troy Beck (@troybeck) January 12, 2025

Tomlin has notably never had a losing season and has compiled an overall record of 183-107-2. However, his Steeler teams have not advanced to the Super Bowl since 2010 and he hasn't led the franchise to a playoff win since 2016.

The Steelers could easily commit to both Tomlin and Wilson in 2025 and hope to rekindle the 10-3 start to the season. However, another option could be embracing backup Justin Fields and bringing in an offensive-minded head coach to maximize his talents.

Backup quarterback Justin Fields reportedly may be a factor in the Pittsburgh Steelers' AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has "prepared packages" for Fields that may be used against their AFC North rivals:

Will we see Justin Fields tonight?

The Steelers have prepared packages for the QB, per @RapSheet. pic.twitter.com/qz0W0Eju9G

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 11, 2025

Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will still get the start at quarterback in what figures to be a challenging environment on the road in Baltimore.

Fields, who was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was acquired from the Chicago Bears during the offseason for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick.

After Fields failed to live up to expectations as a starter in Chicago with a 10-28 record, he was expected to serve as the backup in Pittsburgh.

However, Wilson suffered a calf injury during the preseason, which forced Fields into the starting lineup.

He started the first six games of the regular season, posting a 4-2 record, while completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, and rushing for 231 yards and five scores.

Once he was healthy, Wilson took over as the starter in Week 7, and Fields has seen limited game action since then.

Over the Steelers' final 11 regular-season games, Fields played a total of 13 snaps, attempting one pass and rushing seven times for 58 yards.

After starting the season 10-3, the Steelers struggled down the stretch, losing each of their final four games and averaging only 14.3 points per game during that stretch.

Involving Fields in the gameplan could add a much-needed wrinkle to keep the Ravens' defensive players on their toes.

Fields is at his most dangerous as a runner, so any time he is on the field Saturday, there is a good chance that it will be to carry the ball.

At the same time, Fields has a big arm and is capable of hitting deep balls, so the threat of the run could potentially open the door for some chunk plays in the passing game.

The Steelers have traditionally been a tough matchup for the Ravens and superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, including back in Week 11 when Pittsburgh beat Baltimore 18-16.

The Ravens looked much better in the rematch, though, taking down the Steelers 34-17 at home.

That result and the Steelers' late-season stagnancy suggested that some changes needed to be made, and getting Fields more involved could be the type of move that makes Pittsburgh's offense far more difficult to defend.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers' last losing season came in 2003 before Mike Tomlin was hired as the head coach, the team also hasn't won a postseason game since the 2016 campaign and enters the upcoming playoffs on a four-game losing streak.

That has led to some frustration within the fanbase, but cornerback Joey Porter Jr. isn't worried about the outside noise.

"People are going to talk s--t regardless," Porter Jr. said in a Thursday piece by Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. "That's just what it is nowadays. But definitely, we're all trying to fight for one thing, and that's to win (playoff games) and get Super Bowls.

"And obviously we're all fighting for Coach T. We know what he brings to the table and what kind of character has. We're always trying to get those wins for him. But at the end of the day, the media, the outside noise, is going to always talk, and we just got to worry about what's going on in the inside."

On the one hand, Tomlin has started his career with an NFL record 18 consecutive non-losing seasons.

It is a testament to his overall consistency and the program he has helped build that Pittsburgh is always a playoff contender over the course of various roster constructions, quarterbacks and eras.

However, his Super Bowl title came in his second season with his other Super Bowl appearance coming in his fourth. There have been plenty of recent playoff losses with defeats in the Wild Card Round ending the 2020, 2021 and 2023 campaigns.

Even the 13-3 Steelers in the 2017 season lost their first playoff game in the Divisional Round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"This dichotomy has created a chasm between those who tout Tomlin as a top coach and those who believe change at the top is the only thing that can end the postseason drought," DeFabo explained. "The national media trumpets Tomlin's non-losing seasons, while the local radio shock jocks blast him for postseason failures. It's a dramatic divide."

A road game against the rival Baltimore Ravens on Saturday isn't exactly the easiest path to breaking a postseason losing streak, but Porter and the Steelers seem ready to compete for their coach.

If they pull off the victory, it will surely quiet some of the outside noise as well.

NFL teams may reportedly give the Pittsburgh Steelers a call after the season and see if there's interest in them trading head coach Mike Tomlin.

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided that report Sunday, but made clear there hasn't been any indication the Steelers would make that move.

The conversation with ESPN's Mike Greenberg begins at the 5:37 mark.

A spin on the NFL coaching carousel. pic.twitter.com/VqBSp7CSq2

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2025

"I think there are going to be some teams out there that have watched the way the Pittsburgh Steelers' season has ended and wonder whether they should call the Steelers to see if they should inquire about whether the Steelers would be willing to move on from Mike Tomlin and move him to another organization," Schefter said.

"I don't think Pittsburgh will do that. That has not been what they've been about. And there's no indication that they would. But I do think there are teams wondering if they should lob in a call and see if they could stir Pittsburgh's interest."

Tomlin has coached the Steelers for 18 seasons, making the playoffs in 12 of them. Pittsburgh has never had a losing record in any season under his watch, winning two AFC titles and one Super Bowl along the way.

This year's team has gone 10-7 with a playoff berth but ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak.

The Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2016. They have also won over 10 games just once since 2018. So while the Steelers have had great success overall under Tomlin, his recent teams have been fringe playoff squads rather than serious Super Bowl contenders.

That being said, many NFL teams would love to be perennial playoff contenders, and Tomlin has led competitive squads for two decades. He's one of the NFL's best coaches for this reason, even if great success has been elusive in recent history.

Schefter notably pointed to the team's late-season downswing as a reason for why teams could be calling the Steelers to see if they'd be interested in a change. It was an ugly finish for Pittsburgh, which was 10-3 and in the driver's seat for an AFC North title (and potential No. 2 seed) just four weeks ago.

Then the Steelers lost their next three games by a combined 50 points to three legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs before falling 19-17 at home to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The offense in particular has been problematic, with a lack of explosive plays being a culprit. It's not looking good for the playoffs, but that is where the Steelers are headed yet again under Tomlin. Perhaps Pittsburgh does find a way to get it together from now until next weekend.

Even if the Steelers are one-and-done, it's still hard to envision the Steelers parting ways with Tomlin given another playoff finish. Unless the team bottoms out in the future, one would presume his job is safe in town.

The fifth episode of Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North aired on Tuesday as the end of the regular season nears an end.

This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a critical Christmas Day matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs while the Baltimore Ravens had a meeting with the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals squared off with the Denver Broncos as they tried to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Not only did the Steelers and Ravens have big games to prepare for, but they didn't have much time to do it. By nature of playing on Christmas, a Wednesday, Baltimore and Pittsburgh had just three days between games after playing the previous Saturday.

The episode showed the two squads dealing with the quick turnaround time.

Even a King needs his reps 👑#HardKnocks | @KingHenry_2 pic.twitter.com/wbcDs4LVID

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 1, 2025

Preparation was especially difficult for the Steelers as they had to gameplan for one of the most creative players in the league in Patrick Mahomes.

In between getting ready for games, teams had the chance to partake in Christmas activities like giving gifts to each other and to fans.

A new way to protect the quarterback just dropped 🔥😂#HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/xx2uNQGa8u

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 1, 2025

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston was feeling festive when he wore his pajamas to the office.

Dads 2 hours into Christmas morning 🎁#HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/Olu4lQBWO3

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 1, 2025

It was a special day for the Watt brothers as J.J. Watt was on the broadcast for his brother, T.J. Watt's game. This week's episode gave fans a look at the production meeting with J.J. and T.J. before the Steelers' game against the Chiefs.

Being with family on Christmas 🫂#HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/MpIJiQxtgx

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 1, 2025

There was nothing fun about the Steelers' Christmas Day matchup, however, as the Chiefs rolled past Pittsburgh 29-10.

The Steelers' loss helped Baltimore get closer to clinching the division, and the Ravens made the most of it. They were dominant on both sides of the ball against the Texans, winning 31-2 to make it three straight wins.

Jumping into the new year like 🤣#HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/PQ5ijlLkxu

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 1, 2025

Them saying the Texans are on pushovers and they were literally pushed over by the Ravens. #HardKnocks

— mayra (@myra7) January 1, 2025

Amid the Ravens' dominant win, Lamar Jackson broke the record for the most career rushing yards by a quarterback. This week's episode caught the moment Jackson found out and a fun interaction with fans.

Lamar is part of the BeyHive 🐝#HardKnocks on @StreamonMax pic.twitter.com/A9kteLY5AL

— NFL (@NFL) January 1, 2025

https://twitter.com/Ahmadsubhani_11/status/1874283648956194850

The Bengals managed to keep their playoff hopes alive with an overtime win over the Broncos, and Joe Burrow was feeling himself after the victory.

Ja'Marr has taught him well 👨‍🏫#HardKnocks | @JoeyB pic.twitter.com/RZ3dINaENJ

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 1, 2025

Icy in OT 🥶#HardKnocks | @Bengals pic.twitter.com/tK1wTvRYq1

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 1, 2025

Overall, fans were pleased with another exciting episode covering an intense AFC North.

tonights hard knocks episode was so cute i almost shed tears. im gonna miss the bengals so much

— meg ⁷ (@treaburner) January 1, 2025

I love watching the steelers lose again. Thanks, Hard Knocks.

— Mimi a journey of Synths and Sensibility (@mimidancer) January 1, 2025

That entire Welcome to the jungle intro on Hard Knocks was awesome.

— Jungle Rat (@JungleRat55) January 1, 2025

watching the hard knocks episode joes reaction to denver tying in the 4th made me giggle

— nya (@sediciferrari) January 1, 2025

Next week's Hard Knocks will air at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday and should have plenty of good moments with the AFC North division title on the line.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly hoping that quarterback Russell Wilson's time with them lasts longer than one year.

During Thursday's episode of Get Up, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers would like to retain Wilson beyond the 2024 season.

"They'd like to go ahead and keep Russell Wilson and re-sign him to keep him in Pittsburgh," Schefter said.

.@AdamSchefter breaks down Russell Wilson's future with the Steelers ✍️ pic.twitter.com/YEmScGNPji

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 26, 2024

Wilson signed a one-year veteran's minimum deal with the Steelers this past offseason after being released by the Denver Broncos, who still owed him over $37 million for the 2024 season.

Wilson has been a solid fit for head coach Mike Tomlin's offense in his first year in Pittsburgh. He's totaled 2,334 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding two rushing touchdowns in 10 games this season. The Steelers have a 10-6 record and already clinched a playoff berth.

Schefter pointed out that there won't be many options at the quarterback position available to Pittsburgh during the upcoming offseason, so it would make sense for the team to bring Wilson back on a new deal.

"Who's gonna be out there that's an upgrade over Russell Wilson right now? There are two logical first-round quarterbacks in the draft, they're not gonna get either one of those," Schefter explained. "The top free-agent quarterbacks are gonna be Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson. Is there another quarterback in the trade market that's all of a sudden gonna spring-free? Probably not. So, this is where the Steelers are."

Wilson and the Steelers will close out the regular season on Jan. 5 in an AFC North matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals (7-8).