Russell Wilson reiterated on the Pat McAfee Show this week that he wants to retire as a Pittsburgh Steeler, but former NFL quarterback and league MVP Cam Newton thinks the Steelers would make a massive mistake by running it back with Wilson in 2025. He believes riding with Justin Fields would be the better option.

“Russell Wilson is saying and doing everything that he’s supposed to say. Of course he wants to stay, of course he’s going to prop up and say there’s no other place like Pittsburgh,” Newton said on First Take. “Hey, bro, you got to understand like this, Mike T. You got to understand like this Pittsburgh. Two of the four game changers in this league are in this division Ravens, Lamar Jackson, Bengals, Joe Burrow. How do we compete with those guys? If anything, I’m saying give it to Justin Fields. Build with Justin Fields. He’s a young player that you can build with.”

Stephen A. Smith disagreed with Newton’s take. He believes Russell Wilson will be back in Pittsburgh in 2025.

“I think so because what direction are you going to go in? I don’t think they’re ready to go with Justin Fields and give him the nod even though he won games. I don’t think they were as pleased with him as they were with Russell,” Smith said on First Take. “I also think that Russell gets a reprieve to some degree because you recognize what a problem George Pickens was. Not to mention the fact that who’s your legitimate number two if you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers as well.”

In 2024, Fields played some of the best ball of his career in the six games he filled in for Russell Wilson. He set highs in completion percentage (65.8%), interception rate (0.6%), success rate (42.9%), quarterback rating (93.3) and adjusted net yards per attempt (5.86).

Wilson had a stellar start once taking over in Week 7, but he declined down the stretch during the Steelers’ five-game losing streak to end the season. The Steelers failed to score more than 17 points during the five-game stretch, a streak that hasn’t occurred since Chuck Noll’s first season in 1969.

A report by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated last week said the team grew frustrated with Wilson down the stretch run, but would love to keep working with Justin Fields, who started the first six games of the season while Wilson was hurt.

While Wilson has received a lot of flak for the team’s five-game losing streak to end the season, former All-Pro NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall points the finger at offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He thinks Smith set Wilson up to fail with poor play-calling and personnel.

“This is what I would say. I would’ve love to seen Russell Wilson go rogue. When he goes up-tempo, when he calls the game, that dude’s stats are crazy,” Marshall said on the I Am Athlete podcast. “And don’t have me look them up because I already got ’em. I’m loaded. That’s how l’d hold him accountable. We ain’t got time to play with these people. Legacy is on the line, careers are on the line. This dude got you in three tight end packages. I want to see Russ throw.”