Ex-Jets HC floats Dolphins trading for Russell Wilson after Tua Tagovailoa's injury
Could you imagine Russell Wilson playing for the Miami Dolphins? That's the exact idea floated by Rex Ryan on Monday. With Tua Tagovailoa suffering plenty of head injuries and many people calling for him to consider his career, discussing backup options for Miami is more important than it sounds.
Ryan was participating in ESPN's Get Up program and the subject changed to Tua's career. There's no timetable set for his return, and the season could be going down real quick for Miami. The former head coach spoke about whether Russell Wilson could be seen as a trade candidate.
But he also made it very clear that trading for the veteran would be expensive.
“Here’s what you ask for: a first-round pick," Ryan said. “Why would Pittsburgh trade him? Unless it’s a first-round pick, they’re not going to trade him because their situation is good. Everybody knows you need two quarterbacks in this league. So the only way you make that move for Russ is if you’re a team that has lost their starting quarterback and you think you are a playoff-contending team. There very well could be a playoff contender in South Beach"
Injuries have played a part in the season of both quarterbacks. Tagovailoa left the Week 2 game with the fourth documented concussion of his career, while Wilson still hasn't played with a calf injury. Justin Fields has led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 2-0 record in his absence.
How the Steelers found themselves with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields?
Wilson's best days in the NFL are behind him. It's a very sharp decline and, with his advanced age and reduced mobility compared to his first years in the league, it's highly unlikely that he will play at a good level again for the remainder of his career.
For Fields, his development stalled badly in Chicago and a change of scenery was more than needed — well, with Caleb Williams on the roster, it was going to come anyway. With the Steelers, he gets a fresh start, but the first-round label isn't going to save him anymore.
It will be interesting to see how the dynamic will play out once the veteran is healthy again.