Russell Wilson on re-signing with Steelers: ‘That’s the plan. I love it here.’

The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback publicly expressed that he wants to be the Steelers starting quarterback in 2025, too.

“That’s the plan,” Russell Wilson said from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Monday. “I love it here and everything else. I think we have a great football team. Obviously, (the season) didn’t end the way we wanted it to. I think there’s a lot more to do. As I’ve said before, I trust God and the process.”

Wilson, who turned 36 in November, completed his 13^th NFL season Saturday in a 28-14 wild-card round playoff loss at the Baltimore Ravens. A nine-time Pro Bowl honoree and Super Bowl XLVIII champion, Wilson joined the Steelers in March via a one-year deal for the veteran minimum salary of $1.21 million.

But Wilson likely won’t come anywhere near that cheap in 2025. He was available for that amount this past season because the Denver Broncos were paying him $39 million in guaranteed money from a previous contract, and any salary earned from a new team after his release was merely an offset of what Wilson was previously owed.

Wilson deflected when he was asked Monday if the Steelers had expressed that they want him to return next season at what will be a significant raise.

“They’ve know that I always want to be here and play here,” Wilson said, “but it’s also a process. We haven’t had those meetings yet. We’ll have those and we’ll go from there.”

Russell Wilson said “it’s always been the plan” to play for the Steelers in 2025 and beyond and that he hopes to and loves the organization pic.twitter.com/GQZHJIIwTX

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 13, 2025

In terms of average annual salary according to overthecap.com, the 16^th- and 17^th-highest paid quarterbacks (which would signal “average” in a 32-team league) are making $37.5 million.

For perspective, the most cash Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger earned in any given season from the Steelers was $45 million — in 2019, when he signed a two-year extension.

Wilson won six of his first seven starts, posting a 103.9 passer rating, 8.4 yards per attempt and 12-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. But Wilson — like the Steelers at large — finished the season on a five-game losing streak (including playoffs).

Over Wilson’s final four regular-season games, his passer rating (81.3), yards per attempt (5.7) and TD:INT rate (4-to-2) plummeted.

Wilson also missed most of training camp as well as the first six games of the regular season because of a calf injury. It was easily the most time he’d missed because of injury during what is a future Hall of Fame career.

Wilson on Monday reiterated that it is his desire “to play as long as possible.”

“That’s always been my thought process,” he said. “I feel great physically, mentally, emotionally. If you want to play 20-plus years, you’ve got to love it — and I love the process. I love the mentality. I love competing with my teammates. So that’s always been the plan. I just trust the process and trust that we’ll have those conversations when the time comes.”

Roethlisberger retired at age 39 after the 2021 season.

The other two quarterbacks on the Steelers’ roster — Justin Fields and Kyle Allen — also are free agents.

Fields politely declined to speak to reporters Monday. He told TribLive earlier this month, “Of course I’d love to be back.”