The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback, but they could trade him before he plays a down for the team. Injuries sidelined the one-time Super Bowl champion for the first three weeks of the season, giving former Chicago Bears first-round pick Justin Fields a chance to claim the starting job. So far in the young season, the quarterback has compiled a 3-0 record while completing 73.3% of his passes for 518 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while adding another 90 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Fields didn’t magically turn into an MVP candidate, but the Steelers can win with him playing a calm, controlled style of football. This makes Russell Wilson expendable, as several teams could look to trade for a starting-caliber quarterback. Maybe the Steelers would like to keep their quarterback depth, but if they want to sell the impending free agent, the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers make the most sense as potential destinations.
Dolphins, Chargers Could Trade For Russell Wilson With Justin Fields Thriving
The Miami Dolphins quarterback woes just won’t stop. With Tua Tagovailoa sidelined indefinitely, Mike McDaniel and company placed their faith in seventh-round quarterback Skylar Thompson. That plan lasted all of one game, as the Kansas State product suffered a chest injury in Week 3. As of this posting, we do not know the severity of the injury, but he didn’t return and was immediately ruled out. Miami doesn’t have a reliable Plan C, so they could get desperate and trade a decent draft pick to Pittsburgh for Russell Wilson.
If Thompson has to miss time, the Dolphins will watch the recently-signed Tyler Huntley and career journeyman Tim Boyle battle for the starting job. Nobody wants to see this, as both quarterbacks are remarkably limited players at this stage in their respective careers. Even if Thompson can return, he is a similarly-limited player who is much better in a backup role. Russell Wilson might not be the MVP-caliber player from years ago, but the trade target is still a better option than any of those players.
Is Justin Herbert Ok?
Los Angeles Chargers franchise quarterback Justin Herbert spent the past few months battling a seemingly endless string of injuries. The former first-round pick suffered a Lisfranc injury early in training camp, endured a high-ankle sprain in Week 2, and re-aggravated the injury in Week 3. Herbert missed the second half of the team’s Week 3 loss to the Steelers, but he reportedly plans on playing in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Perhaps Herbert is up for the challenge, but Jim Harbaugh should consider a Russell Wilson trade if these injuries keep adding up.
A healthy version of Justin Herbert is considerably better than Russell Wilson. However, Herbert seems to only be one or two bad hits away from an extended leave of absence. If that happens, the Chargers will need somebody better than Taylor Heinicke to guide this offense. Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey both showed some promise through the first three weeks, but this is still a subpar supporting cast. Russell Wilson could likely get by with these two, and it shouldn’t cost too much to trade for a half-season of his services.
Main Photo: Barry Reager – USA Today Sports
