Steelers Trade Pitch Flips Russell Wilson, Replaces Him With $38 Million QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a handful of options under center, including replacing Russell Wilson with a younger player to compete with/back up current starter Justin Fields .

A handful of teams may be interested in Wilson's services, including the Las Vegas Raiders .

"Wilson's minimum salary would be attractive for teams, assuming he would waive his no-trade clause," Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported on Wednesday, October 9. "And the Raiders were once on his desired list of destinations."

If the Steelers decided to move off Wilson, who they are paying just $1.2 million this year and who has yet to take a single regular-season snap, it would mean with certainty that they believe in Fields as the starter for at least the rest of this season.

However, Fields is not without his flaws and is also playing on the final year of his rookie contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent in March 2025 if he doesn't extend with Pittsburgh before then.

That fact opens up the possibility that Pittsburgh could be in the market for another QB ahead of the NFL's November 5 trade deadline. One player who may be available is former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers .

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in September that the Panthers are most likely to try and move Young during the offseason. However Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested on Wednesday that those circumstances might change in the coming weeks.

"A strong offer may change the Panthers' plans, of course, and getting a jump on the 2025 market would make sense for teams in need of a long-term QB plan," Knox wrote . "Fields is still young enough to be a long-term solution for Pittsburgh. If his play slips, however, Young could be the next former first-rounder on whom the Steelers take a flier."

Young is playing in the second season of his four-year, $38 million rookie contract that includes a team option for 2027.

Related: Could Steelers' Russell Wilson Be Traded?