Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are set to become free agents this upcoming offseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to bring only one of them back for next season.
The Steelers ended the season with five straight losses and were sent home by the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round. The losing streak destroyed everything Wilson built with his performances throughout the campaign.
And yet, the question remains — Wilson or Fields? LeSean McCoy weighed in on Steel City’s quarterback quandary.
LeSean McCoy Picks Side on Russell Wilson-Justin Fields Debate
McCoy thinks the Steelers should prioritize re-signing the veteran quarterback. He explained why Wilson is a better option on FS1’s “The Facility.”
“First of all, the teams that Fields played weren’t that good,” McCoy said. “When Justin Fields was playing, they [Steelers] were second in defense, right? That means they were the No. 2 defense in the whole football… When Russ had to take over, he was scoring touchdowns, but the problem was the defense was letting up touchdowns.
“If Russ would have had that same second defense in the league which Justin Fields had, they would have won a lot of games.”
The Steelers’ defense gave up an average of 13.33 points in six games that Fields started.
In comparison, in the next 12 games with Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback, the defense gave up an average of 24.08 points per game.
.@CutOnDime25 says the Steelers should bring back Russell Wilson over Justin Fields:
“Do you want field goals or touchdowns?” pic.twitter.com/dVcC9NapSy
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) January 29, 2025
“Another thing is when he [Wilson] went against some of them good quarterbacks — like you love talking about like Joe Burrow and Lamar and all that, he beat some of them guys,” McCoy added. “Fields wouldn’t dare to beat them dudes. Do you know why? Because he can’t score. And my thing is this: do you want field goals, or do you want touchdowns? Because one quarterback [Fields] only does field goals.”
The Steelers’ offense looked better with Wilson as the quarterback; however, based on various reports, Arthur Smith, the team’s offensive coordinator, wanted Fields to start over the veteran quarterback. It’s possible that if the former Chicago Bears quarterback had been given more time to play, he could have had a better season than Wilson.
PFN’s QB+ metric had Wilson ranked No. 17, while Fields didn’t qualify due to minimum attempt threshold but would have placed No. 15.
Since Pittsburgh has the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it wouldn’t be wise for them to chase a quarterback from a draft class with no standout players at the position.
Wilson Could Be on His Way to Las Vegas
Pete Carroll is the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, and according to reports, the team is interested in signing Wilson. The AFC West has Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix, which is why the Raiders have to get a new quarterback. The head coach could be reunited with the player he won a Super Bowl with in Seattle.
Wilson in Las Vegas will be an ideal fit as there will be no high expectations for him, which wasn’t the case in Pittsburgh. Carroll was able to get the best out of the 36-year-old quarterback during their time together in Seattle, and he could do the same with the Raiders.
The Raiders also have an elite offensive talent in Brock Bowers, who will make things easier for Wilson. Michael Mayer and Jakobi Meyers are also good players who can succeed with Wilson, and the franchise will also look to improve the roster to give the new head coach a fair shot at competing.
By signing Wilson, the Raiders would have the flexibility of waiting for another year to draft a new quarterback or get someone on Day 2 or Day 3 as more of a project.
