Pittsburg, PA
Trade Russell Wilson? QB deal is right move for both Steelers, Dolphins
Sam Darnold’s MVP run continues, Ravens save season with win in Dallas
Sports Seriously’s Mackenzie Salmon ‘overreacts’ to the biggest news from Sunday’s slate of games.
Sports Seriously
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.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
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It’s only fitting that one of the most eventful offseasons in Pittsburgh Steelers history will be capped by an equally unpredictable NFL draft. Owning 12 picks, including five in the top 100 for the first time since 1999, GM Omar Khan has a chance to radically change the franchise’s trajectory in front of a home crowd in Pittsburgh.
Last time they held five picks in the top 100, the Steelers found a couple very good long-term starters like OLB Joey Porter Sr. and DE Aaron Smith. But they also struck out on WR Troy Edwards, DB Scott Shields, and OT Kris Farris.
At a pivotal, transitional phase in franchise history, the Steelers can’t afford to find just two good starters. That may be a challenge in a draft lacking top-end talent that falls off a cliff in the later rounds. If they are out of range of coveted players, they can’t be timid in the trade market.
I posed the question on this week’s episode of The Depot Dive: Over or under 2.5 trades for the Steelers? I wanted to take the over, but it’s hard to make that work without a trade down. I settled on two.
All that said, here’s my best attempt at predicting what the Steelers will do in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Round One (12th Overall) – Spencer Fano/OL/Utah – 6054, 311 pounds
Trade: Steelers send Patrick Queen + Pick No. 21 + Pick No. 121 + Pick No. 224. Cowboys send Pick No. 12 + 2027 sixth-round pick.
If they want Vega Ioane or Fano, I think it will require a move up. But I don’t think the Steelers will want to sacrifice a lot of picks to accomplish that. Queen is an easy target with the Cowboys having reported interest in trading for him during free agency.
Using our Dave Bryan’s trade idea as a loose template, I like the Steelers to jump up in the first round to solidify the trenches once again. This is the best move for the current—which we know the Steelers place a heavy emphasis on—and the future as they lock in a potentially elite offensive line for the next decade.
It’s a bonus that Fano can play guard now — and potentially tackle later if Broderick Jones or Dylan Cook don’t work out. Fano is Dane Brugler’s top OL in the class. If he makes it to 12, I like the value a lot.
Others Considered: OG Vega Ioane, WR Makai Lemon, TE Kenyon Sadiq
Spencer Fano Scouting Report
Round Two (53rd Overall) – Jacob Rodriguez/ILB/Texas Tech – 6013, 231 pounds
Trading Queen creates a need that outweighs others (like wide receiver). Maybe Rodriguez doesn’t fall this far, but he should be the Steelers’ top target if he does.
As a former quarterback, Rodriguez has a unique football IQ that could be a force multiplier for the entire Steelers defense–something Patrick Queen never really turned into. I witnessed it firsthand at the Senior Bowl. He got everybody aligned correctly pre-snap in an environment where all had to learn a new defense in just a few days.
He’s also the most decorated defensive playmaker coming out of college in decades, even more than Payton Wilson’s impressive list of accolades from a couple years ago. This would be a home-run pick.
Others Considered: WR Denzel Boston, ILB CJ Allen, S Treydan Stukes
Jacob Rodriguez Scouting Report
Round Two (59th Overall) – Germie Bernard/WR/Alabama – 6012, 206 pounds
Trade: Steelers send No. 76 + No. 99. Texans send No. 59.
Another move up to make sure the Steelers get a receiver they like at the end of the second round. Bernard was a pre-draft visitor and has the size and athletic profile that Mike McCarthy likes at the position. He does everything well, and played a healthy mix of slot and outside receiver to fit in the rotation with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.
Others Considered: WR Zachariah Branch, WR Chris Bell, ILB Jake Golday
Germie Bernard Scouting Report
Round Three (85th Overall) – Kamari Ramsey/S/USC – 6002, 202 pounds
Not every selection will be a pre-draft visitor, and Ramsey fits the description of the type of defensive back the Steelers have looked at. He has played a strong mix of safety and nickel and is capable of being a chess piece in Patrick Graham’s defense. Given the Steelers’ crowded secondary, he could focus on backing up Jalen Ramsey at free safety in the beginning.
Others Considered: S Jalen Kilgore, OG Keylan Rutledge, QB Drew Allar
Kamari Ramsey Scouting Report
Round Four (135th Overall) – Carson Beck/QB/Miami (FL) – 6046, 233 pounds
The Steelers have spent too much time scouting quarterbacks not to take one. And Beck has several traits they are looking for, including his track record as a winner and his size at nearly 6-5. Their view of Mike McCarthy as a QB whisperer suggests they will give him as many projects as possible until one sticks.
Others Considered: CB Tacario Davis, QB Garrett Nussmeier, WR Ja’Kobi Lane
Carson Beck Scouting Report
Round Five (161st Overall) – Ephesians Prysock/CB/Washington – 6033, 196 pounds
Prysock has all the traits to turn into an impact starter, and the Steelers have gravitated toward th long, rangy athletes at cornerback. He wouldn’t need to see the field right away with a crowded stable of defensive backs, but he has plenty of long-term upside.
Others Considered: WR/KR Kendrick Law, WR Josh Cameron, S Michael Taaffe
Ephesians Prysock Scouting Report
Round Six (216th Overall) – Kaden Wetjen/WR-KR/Iowa – 5090, 193 pounds
Calvin Austin III and Kenneth Gainwell both departed in the offseason, which means the Steelers need a kick and punt returner. Wetjen is the top return specialist in the draft with six total return touchdowns in college.
Others Considered: OT Aamil Wagner, CB Thaddeus Dixon, WR Caleb Douglas
Kaden Wetjen Scouting Report
Round Seven (230th Overall) – Josh Cuevas/TE/Alabama – 6033, 245 pounds
Cuevas is versatile enough to be a rotational backup tight end, and to play H-back or fullback in certain personnel packages. He’s a committed and aggressive blocker and has enough receiving skills to be a dependable option on passing downs, either running routes or blocking.
Others Considered: DL David Gusta, RB Jaydn Ott, TE Matthew Hibner
Josh Cuevas Scouting Report
Round Seven (237th Overall) – Brett Thorson/P/Georgia – 6012, 237 pounds
The Steelers brought back Cameron Johnston, but they didn’t even keep him over Corliss Waitman after last year’s training camp competition. Johnston is 34 years old and has dealt with injuries in each of the last two seasons. Thorson has a relationship with Johnston as a fellow Aussie, so it could be a decent pairing for another training camp competition this year.
Others Considered: WR CJ Daniels, QB Sawyer Robertson, TE John Michael Gyllenborg
Brett Thorson Scouting Report
A United flight traveling from Chicago to New York City diverted to Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday afternoon for what was described as a “reported threat.”
According to information provided by the Allegheny County Airport Authority and FBI Pittsburgh, United Flight 2092 diverted to Pittsburgh and landed safely.
The passengers have deplaned safely, and no injuries have been reported.
“The plane was diverted and landed at Pittsburgh International Airport,” FBI Pittsburgh said in a statement provided to KDKA-TV. “All passengers and crew safely evacuated the aircraft. FBI Special Agent Bomb Techs and Special Agents are on the ground coordinating with local authorities.”
The airport authority has said that law enforcement is on the scene and investigating.
This is a developing story, and will be updated.
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