Steelers Re-Signing Russell Wilson Could Be Helpful In Luring Former Teammate To Pittsburgh

Owner Art Rooney II previously stated that he would prefer that the Pittsburgh Steelers re-sign one of their 2024 quarterbacks to be their starter in 2025. One month later, General Manager Omar Khan said the exact same thing, so it's safe to say that either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields will be the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh in 2025. Reports have come out saying that Rooney would much rather have the veteran lead the Steelers over the younger option, but negotiations are still ongoing with both sides as the new league year approaches. 

A decision needs to be made soon, as the quarterback choice influences many other factors on the offensive side of the ball. If Wilson re-signs, the Steelers will likely grab a deep threat to fit his style, as well as a traditional running back, since he is comfortable under center. If Fields stays, then they will likely sign more short-range options and stick with backs like Jaylen Warren, who are comfortable being used in shotgun.

Signing Wilson could influence one other thing: signing a pending cap casualty to add to the receiving core.

"The second-most prolific wide receiver in franchise history may have played his last game with the Seahawks," explained Brady Henderson of ESPN. "The writing has been on the wall for 11 months, with [Tyler] Lockett taking a $4 million pay cut to return to the team in March, then getting relegated to the No. 3 role when Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out in 2024. Lockett is set to make a non-guaranteed $17 million next season while carrying a cap hit of nearly $31 million, so taking another pay cut is the only way Lockett would be back with Seattle for an 11th season."

Tyler Lockett is not only tabbed as a prime cap casualty target, but he is on ESPN's list of players that could benefit from a change of scenery. DK Metcalf is still a beast as the top receiver, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had his breakout season in 2024 with 100 receptions for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. That makes Lockett the odd man out for the Seattle Seahawks. 

Lockett has a cap hit of nearly $31 million in 2025 and cutting him would save the Seahawks $17 million. That transaction is not nearly enough for a projected WR3 that lost the starting role late in 2024. Despite that, he still managed to amass 600 receiving yards while being overshadowed by multiple other weapons on the team.

The Steelers are still looking for quality wideouts, so why not bring Lockett in, especially with Wilson seemingly being the favorite to be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh? The duo made magic together for seven years, which resulted in three consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons for the wideout with Wilson under center.

Steelers Can Utilize Lockett In More Ways Than One

Whether Lockett is a starter or more of a depth piece, it still helps that he already has a connection with the quarterback. That can help him get up to speed much quicker, even though this would be his first time playing for the Steelers. It's also a foregone conclusion that Pittsburgh will draft a receiver early on. Lockett can be the starter until the rookie is ready to take over.

Lockett can also help mentor the young receivers. There is not much leadership in the current wideout room, so Wilson's old teammate can be the guy that everyone looks up to. Unlike previous experiments with Allen Robinson II and Van Jefferson, Lockett can still be productive on the field while helping out everyone else.

What do you think about the Steelers re-signing Wilson to help sign Lockett? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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