3 emergency Russell Wilson trades to save veteran QB from Pittsburgh purgatory

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0 in a division that otherwise features exclusively below-.500 teams. It's only Week 3, so things are bound to get more competitive. I am not convinced Pittsburgh is so much better than Baltimore or Cincinnati. A lot of early-season success comes down to scheduling, which has (somewhat) favored a quick start for the Steelers.

Even so, success is success. The Steelers are undefeated with Justin Fields under center and it's getting harder to justify a transition to Russell Wilson, who was named QB1 in the preseason, only to spend the first three weeks of the campaign on the sideline with a calf injury.

Maybe Russ is the "better" quarterback, but Fields' skill set is well tailored to Arthur Smith's scheme. He's limiting mistakes, with only one interception through three starts, which is half the battle. Fields does not engineer the most explosive drives, but he can extend broken plays with his legs and stress defenses in unique ways due to his live-wire athleticism.

At this rate, the Steelers ought to just ride it out with Fields. There could be speedbumps in the distance — heck, it's a borderline guarantee — but Russ is not the sort of quarterback who meaningfully elevates your chances of winning. Fields is a decade younger and might actually have some utility to Pittsburgh beyond this season.

The most logical outcome is trading Russ for whatever draft capital he can fetch in return. For all his struggles these past couple years, Wilson's pedigree as a nine-time Pro Bowl QB and Super Bowl champ is hard to deny. A number of bad teams with QB issues could be inclined to kick the tires.

Here are a few swaps that actually make sense.

3. Russell Wilson could stabilize an erratic Colts offense

Simple enough. The Steelers and Indianapolis Colts essentially swap aging vets, with Joe Flacco slotting in behind Justin Fields for Pittsburgh. Flacco led a postseason run a season ago and had the Browns offense looking much better than it does under Deshaun Watson right now, so there's something there, however limited it may be at 39 years old.

For Indianapolis, there's mounting pressure to shelve Anthony Richardson until further notice. The sophomore QB oozes natural talent, but the decision-making just isn't where it needs to be yet. He has twice as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes (three) so far, with only 49.3 percent of his passes ending with completions.

The Colts should exercise patience, as Richardson's physical gifts are special, but there's simply no path to sustainable winning at his current level. Russ, for all his faults, would drastically improve the baseline functionality of the Colts offense. He won't uncork the same 60-yard bombs or break off 20-yard scrambles on third down, but he can efficiently orchestrate offense in the intermediate range and avoid some of the back-breaking miscues that Richardson is prone to.

Beyond any on-field benefits, Russ can still be an excellent mentor for a young quarterback like Richardson. Whereas Flacco appeared less than enamored with his backup label going into the season, Russ would surely embrace the opportunity to start and lead a group in need.

2. Russell Wilson can help the Dolphins stay afloat without Tua Tagovailoa

The Miami Dolphins will be without Tua Tagovailoa for an undetermined period of time. The former first-round pick is presently on the IR after suffering his fourth documented concussion as an NFL player. While retirement seems unlikely, Tua's NFL future has never been more in doubt. Head trauma is an increasingly serious concern in this sport and Tagovailoa, unfortunately, is at the frontline of those conversations.

Skylar Thompson stepped in for Tagovailoa in the Dolphins' 24-3 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday. So bad was his performance that Tim Boyle took over halfway through (and will probably get the nod in Week 4). With all due respect to Thompson and Boyle, neither is cut out for a sustained period as the Dolphins' starting quarterback. Boyle was Zach Wilson's backup in East Rutherford a season ago. Thompson made his first NFL start in three seasons on Sunday.

Wilson is not perfect. He is going to bump up against the limitations of his age more often than you'd like, but he remains far, far better than the options currently available to Miami. He would need to graciously accept the eventual second-string demotion once Tua comes back, assuming Tua does come back, but Russ would get at few weeks at least in the NFL's most potent offensive scheme.

The Dolphins' offense has been asleep through three weeks, but we know what Mike McDaniel is capable of concocting with his group. Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De'Von Achane would form arguably the most talented playmaking trio around Russ in his 12-year career. Miami would at least start putting up a fight again.

1. Russell Wilson can help lead the Patriots through their growing pains

The New England Patriots have lost two straight after that impressive Week 1 victory over Joe Burrow and the Bengals. We glimpsed the light at the end of the tunnel early on, but Week 3 was nothing but pitch-black darkness for the Patriots fandom. The Jets won 24-3 on Thursday Night Football in a game that didn't even feel that close. Aaron Rodgers and the offense tore through New England's defense like a hot knife through butter. Meanwhile, the Pats offensive line was a complete dumpster fire.

New England was actually able to establish and maintain a run game through two weeks, but New York quickly shut off the water on Rhamondre Stevenson in Week 3. Meanwhile, Jacoby Brissett spent the entire game under pressure, dodging sacks as best he could. He finished the night with 98 passing yards while losing 46 yards on five sacks.

Oftentimes we blame the QB for sacks, but Brissett was blameless the whole way. There are valid critiques of his performance, but he can't help his O-line block. The Patriots' offense was so bad that Drake Maye saw his first action on the game's final drive, which ended fittingly with a sack in the red zone.

Head coach Jerod Mayo plans to stick with Brissett moving forward, but New England's passing offense has been utterly anemic. Russell Wilson wouldn't solve the Patriots' pass blocking issues, but he does bring a more robust resumé to the table and perhaps a marginally better arm. New England is wise to keep Drake Maye on ice until the team around him improves. Russ can help lead the Pats through this transitional period in the meantime. New England just needs to keep its head above water on that end.