Insider: Russell Wilson's Steelers Career in Jeopardy

One insider believes Russell Wilson's future with the Pittsburgh Steelers is on the line in the first round of the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scrambles out of the pocket in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. The Bengals won 19-17 to finish the regular season at 9-8. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Once heralded as the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback solution, Russell Wilson's recent fall from grace has some believing that his future with the team will be non-existent if they can't topple the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

In an appearance on 93.7 The Fan's The PM Team with Poni & Mueller, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk expressed his opinion that Wilson may be out of a job if the Steelers don't pull through this weekend.

"If they lose this game on Saturday night, you think anyone wants Russell Wilson back next year?" Florio said.

Wilson's tenure with Pittsburgh, after signing a one-year deal last March, got off on the wrong foot due to a calf injury he sustained at the beginning of training camp.

After being appointed the starter ahead of Justin Fields entering the regular season, he reaggravated his calf and missed the first six contests of the year.

It didn't take long for Wilson to redeem himself, however, as the Steelers soared to a 10-3 record after the team went 6-1 over his first seven starts. During that stretch, he threw for 1,784 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.

In contrast, the final four contests of the campaign were a house of horrors for Pittsburgh. It went 0-4 and squandered its hold on the AFC North to Baltimore, dropping to the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture in the process.

The Steelers were outscored 109-57 throughout their losing streak, and a fair amount of the blame for their shortcomings have been placed on Wilson's shoulders. He eclipsed 150 passing yards just once over that span while taking 14 sacks and seemingly regressing across the board.

When asked if a poor showing versus the Ravens could spell the end of Wilson's career, Florio agreed with that notion on the principle that no team would subsequently hand him a starting role on the open market and that he wouldn't accept a deal as a backup.

"You're right, because nobody's gonna hand him a starting job, and he's not gonna go the Joe Flacco route where he takes whatever spot he can on a depth chart," Florio said. "He'll walk away."

With calls for Fields to get an extended look against the Ravens getting louder by the minute, Wilson is on thin ice as he tries to win back favor before he reaches free agency in the offseason.

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