Pittsburg, PA

Trade Russell Wilson? QB deal is right move for both Steelers, Dolphins

Published

1 year ago

September 23, 2024

Trade Russell Wilson? QB deal is right move for both Steelers, Dolphins

It’s felt evident for a few years now that Russell Wilson has entered the twilight of his NFL career. But you know what? Sundown in South Florida sure can be spectacular.

If not exactly a split-screen moment Sunday afternoon, it still wasn’t hard to miss Russ yet again dressed out in his role as the emergency quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who improved to 3-0 with Justin Fields taking the snaps … while, on the other side of the country, the Miami Dolphins were getting clubbed for the second straight week courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson’s former team.

You can already see the dots connecting here.

Wilson’s calf injury has effectively given the Steelers cover to start Fields without repercussion. But as the 25-year-old gets increasingly acclimated to an offense that fits his skill set nicely and continues to produce incrementally better personal and collective results (including a passing and rushing TD in Sunday’s victory), the Steelers will surely have to anoint him with the QB1 label at some point – and that was the sensible conclusion all along given Fields and Wilson, 35, are both headed for free agency in 2025, but only one of them was a logical candidate for a long-term marriage.

And it feels like even sometimes brusque Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin is starting to fall for Fields.

“He’s doing a good job doing what we’re asking him to do, playing and playing to win,” he said after Sunday’s 20-10 defeat of the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers, “and so that’s appreciated.”

Yet what might also be nicely appreciating is Wilson’s value.

The 2024 season is only three weeks old, but several teams already seem to be entering the throes of a quarterback crisis – the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans potential examples, though they can materialize instantaneously anywhere in the league at any time.

And that brings us to the Dolphins.

A playoff team during the first two years of coach Mike McDaniel’s tenure, the Fins have sunk copious amounts of money into a roster – which has been forced into risky cost cutting in some areas – in a bid to contend now, most notably the four-year, $212.4 million extension ($167.2 million guaranteed) granted to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in July. Of course, now on injured reserve after his latest concussion, he won’t be eligible to play again until Oct. 27 – at the earliest and assuming his neurological outlook and family support his return.

The Dolphins were embarrassed 24-3 in Seattle on Sunday – they’ve lost their last two games by a collective 55-13 – and saw backup quarterback Skylar Thompson knocked out of the lineup with a chest injury, not that he was particularly effective beforehand. Journeyman Tim Boyle, fresh off the practice squad, mopped up.

Asked about his 1-2 team’s next steps, McDaniel replied: “I think you have to look at everything. And you have to find a way to give your team a best chance to win.

“We have to find a way to get better collectively.”

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When viewing the predicament of the 2024 Dolphins, the specter of the 2023 New York Jets should be a warning – maybe with Boyle himself tripping a call to action after three dreadful appearances for the NYJ last season. Remember, those Jets basically hoped they were talented enough to hang on for Aaron Rodgers to make a farfetched return from his Week 1 Achilles tear. In the interim, talented playmakers like WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall toiled for a hamstrung attack while the defense shouldered an inordinate burden.

You can already see similar issues surfacing for Miami, where WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and RB De’Von Achane are quickly turning into hood ornaments.

“(W)e have a real good team, and we’ve got some great leaders who are keeping everybody together,” Hill said Sunday.

“We’ll have a captains meeting on what needs to be changed and be back to the drawing board Monday night.”

If only there were a veteran passer with extensive postseason experience who was available, one playing for the veteran’s minimum on an expiring contract – preferably with a career completion rate near 65% who tends to safeguard the ball … and might even be more willing than ever to follow a coach’s playbook to the X and O given his recent experience with coach Sean Payton and increasingly tenuous footing as a perceived starter in this league.

Oh, wait.

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Is Wilson a declining player, especially as it pertains to his mobility? Yes. Is it fair to say he’s probably less accurate and decisive when compared to Tagovailoa? Yep. But, despite Payton’s dissatisfaction in Denver, Wilson did exhibit with the Broncos in 2023 that he can still be a quality NFL starter (26 TD passes, 98.0 QB rating) who knows distributing the ball to playmakers might lead to the best version of himself. And he’s clearly desperate to win amid a quest to add another Lombardi Trophy to his recently tarnished legacy.

Wilson has repeatedly contended his calf is just about ready for action. Naturally, that prompts the question: Should the Steelers just keep him as an insurance policy behind Fields?

As of Sunday night, Pittsburgh was one of four 3-0 teams and was at least two games clear of the field in the AFC North. And this is a franchise that has seen the value of, say, a Charlie Batch, who could capably carry a team for a month when the starting quarterback was down.

Wilson might be Batch-plus, but Fields isn’t Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger – not yet, maybe not ever. And, unbeaten or not, this doesn’t quite feel like a squad on the precipice of the city’s long-awaited Stairway to Seven, which would be the most Super Bowls ever won by a franchise.

Divesting Wilson for, say, a mid-round draft pick could mean filling a crucial slot on the depth chart in the future or providing the final piece of currency that consummates a deal in the pursuit of the next quarterback if it winds up not being Fields – especially at a point when it’s obvious the Steelers won’t be organically be drafting in the top five. A trade also eliminates what’s bound to eventually become a distraction for Tomlin.

The Steelers might be standouts in the context of what’s become typical early season NFL mediocrity, albeit a group headed in a decidedly positive direction. The Dolphins might actually have more upside over the course of the 2024 campaign – but maybe only if they pursue a short-term solution like Wilson. Yet Miami might also need him as a suspension bridge if Tagovailoa is out for an indefinite period – particularly given the difficulty the Fins would have trying to reset themselves into the market for a younger quarterback, whether in the draft or in free agency.

And just maybe such a change of address would permit Russ to ride – “Let’s ride!” – into a sunset more to his liking than the current reality of riding the pine in the 11th hour of his distinguished career.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh-area man charged in UTV crash on frozen lake that killed man

Published

1 week ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

Pittsburgh-area man charged in UTV crash on frozen lake that killed man

September 23, 2025 / 10:15 PM EDT
/ CBS Pittsburgh

A Westmoreland County man was charged in connection with the death of another Westmoreland County man after the two fell through a frozen lake in Maryland while riding a utility terrain vehicle earlier this year.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources said in a news release on Tuesday that Ricky A. Wise, of Mount Pleasant, is facing a list of charges — including negligent homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence and homicide with a motor vehicle while impaired — after a UTV crash led to the death of David T. Linsenbigler, of Greensburg.

Maryland authorities said the 59-year-old Wise was driving a Polaris RZR XP 1000 with the 58-year-old Linsenbigler on Deep Creek Lake on Feb. 22 when the vehicle fell through the ice beneath the Glendale Bridge. When first responders arrived, they found Wise had escaped the water, but Linsenbigler was trapped in the submerged wreckage.

The Greensburg man was rescued and taken to a hospital in West Virginia, where he died a day later, officials said. The Mount Pleasant man was taken to a local hospital and treated for hypothermia, according to the news release, which added that he was released a day later.

Investigators said, according to the news release, that Wise consumed alcoholic beverages before getting on the UTV on the day of the crash. He allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit in Maryland of 0.08 percent.

Wise was charged by summons and is scheduled to stand trial in Garrett County on Oct. 7, authorities said. If convicted, he faces more than 12 years behind bars and nearly $17,000 in fines.

The news release said only snowmobiles are allowed on Deep Creek Lake.

Michael Guise

Michael Guise is a web producer for CBS Pittsburgh who has worked for KDKA-TV since 2019.

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Pittsburg, PA

Two Steelers mistakes cost them dearly, but Pittsburgh’s issues run much deeper

Published

2 weeks ago

September 15, 2025

Press Room

Two Steelers mistakes cost them dearly, but Pittsburgh’s issues run much deeper

PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers scampered out of the pocket and looked toward the corner of the end zone, with a go-ahead touchdown and a milestone throw in sight.

The Steelers’ quarterback had already enjoyed a historic moment in the second quarter, when he connected with DK Metcalf for the 508th touchdown pass of his career. In doing so, Rodgers tied Brett Favre for fourth on the all-time list. With a chance to surpass the man he backed up two decades ago, Rodgers let the ball fly in tight end Pat Freiermuth’s direction.

As the ball approached Freiermuth, receiver Calvin Austin III dove to try to make a play. The ball deflected off Austin and was snatched out of the air by Seattle Seahawks defensive back Derion Kendrick.

“I was in the scramble rules,” Austin said. “I was in the wrong spot, just trying to make a play. But I gotta do what I’m coached and not, in the spur of the moment, do something to try to make a play… That’s most definitely on me. That interception wasn’t on (Rodgers) or on Pat (Freiermuth) or anything. If I had just stayed on the front pylon, it probably would have been a touchdown.”

Rodgers said after the game that a touchdown in that situation would have changed the “whole scope of the game,” as it would have given the Steelers’ a seven-point lead in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Instead, the interception became the first of several game-changing moments down the stretch of a 31-17 loss to the Seahawks. Just a few minutes after the interception, an even costlier blunder would doom them.

After the Seahawks took a 3-point lead on a field goal, Seattle kicker Jason Myers delivered a bouncing ball into the landing zone. The football hopped over rookie kicker returner Kaleb Johnson’s shoulder and sat lifelessly in the end zone as Johnson headed toward the sideline. Seattle raced down the field and recovered it for a stunning touchdown. The 10-point deficit was too much for the Steelers to overcome.

“I just made a mistake,” Johnson said after the game. “I’ve just got to get better every day. That’s all I have to say about this. I’ve just got to go in every day and work my hardest even more with a chip on my shoulder.”

Football is a funny game sometimes. In Week 1, the Steelers were in a tight game against the Jets that broke open in Pittsburgh’s favor when running back Kenneth Gainwell forced a fumble on a Jets kick return. In Week 2, the shoe was on the other foot after another pivotal special teams play.

In that way, it would be easy to chalk up the loss to one or two bounces that didn’t go in the Steelers’ direction. Coach Mike Tomlin saw it differently.

“I’ve got a desire for us to be cleaner so you can’t point to singular plays as pivotal points in the game,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, that’s just to put it succinctly.”

When you zoom out, Tomlin’s comments put the first two weeks of the season in proper perspective. In both games, similar issues plagued Pittsburgh. In both games, the offensive line struggled to create running lanes and was inconsistent in pass protection. In both games, the defense failed to stop the run and was gashed by chunk plays. The result was different. But when you take away Rodgers’ four-touchdown heroics in Week 1, it largely was the same product.

“It’s Week 2. It’s good for us,” Rodgers said. “Last week, probably there were some people who were feeling pretty good because everyone outside the building is talking about how great we were on offense and 34 points. That’s the league. You can’t ride the highs and ride the lows. You’ve got to refocus every single week and be a professional.”

The Seahawks just recovered a kickoff in the end zone for a touchdown!
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— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
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The Seahawks defense largely kept a lid on the Steelers’ passing game by playing from a two-high safety shell. The way to make a defense pay for playing two safeties deep is to run the ball effectively. Pittsburgh never did. The top three backs — Jaylen Warren, Gainwell and Johnson — carried the ball 20 times for just 69 yards in the game. Even if you add in garbage-time stats, the Steelers managed just 3.4 yards per carry and 72 total rushing yards.

Without a running game to support Rodgers and keep the defense honest, moving the ball was an inconsistent endeavor. Rodgers completed 18 of 33 passes for 203 yards, one touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked three times and hit eight times in total. The one-dimensional nature of the offense made things especially challenging on third downs, where Pittsburgh went 5-for-15.

Asked what went wrong on third down, Rodgers said, “Everything.”

“I wasn’t on target,” Rodgers said. “We weren’t getting open effectively enough and they were getting some good pass rush.”

Derion Kendrick gets his interception on Aaron Rodgers!
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— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

Defensively, it was even more disappointing. A defense full of Pro Bowl talent wasn’t bashful in the preseason about saying they could be the NFL’s best defense. Safety Juan Thornhill said they could be the “best of all-time,” and Tomlin said he felt they could be “historic.” While the defense was opportunistic on Sunday— a Jalen Ramsey interception set up a field goal and a Nick Herbig interception off of a Cameron Heyward deflection set up a touchdown — that unit has come nowhere close to living up to their own lofty expectations through two games.

The two biggest keys coming into Sunday’s game were to shut down running back Kenneth Walker III and to slow receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They fell short in both regards. Walker racked up 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries — it was the second consecutive game the Steelers allowed a running back to eclipse 100 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks’ main receiving threat, caught eight passes for 103 yards.

“I just don’t like people having their way,” inside linebacker Patrick Queen said. “We did that again today, let them have their way. It’s definitely aggravating.”

In many cases, the problems went hand-in-hand. Queen said that the Seahawks took advantage of their man coverage to complete a number of passes in the middle of the field for big gains. In the run game, the Steelers were often gashed by big runs. Overall, the Steelers gave up 18 plays of 10 yards or more, including four plays of 20-plus yards.

“The first note of every single week is smash the run,” outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “You guys have heard me say for nine years, we’re always trying to smash the run. It’s not a lack of trying. Schematically. Effort. I don’t know. We’ll have to look at the film, but we have to be better.

“We need to look in the mirror, we need to turn over every stone that we possibly can, because this can’t continue to happen or else you’re going to continue to see what we saw today.”

That may be the truest statement of the day. Even after GM Omar Khan’s noisy offseason, repeated investments in the offensive line and a ton of money committed to the defense, the Steelers are a team that will be in tight games decided by a handful of plays. Until the Steelers eradicate the warts, the same shortcomings will continue to shape the outcome of games.

(Top photo: Barry Reeger / Imagn Images)

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