I don’t know that possibilities such as these bring Seattle Seahawks fans delight anymore. The catharsis may be complete when it comes to the man who once wore the crown of Seattle’s most popular athlete.

Personally, a Russell Wilson comeback track seemed fascinating — a storied franchise featuring a stalwart quarterback whose legacy has served as a public piñata the past two seasons. But now that Justin Fields has been named the Steelers’ starter for a second consecutive week, it’s fair to ask: Could Wilson’s days as a QB1 be over for good?

It’s a legitimate question for a sub-six-foot signal caller who’s 35 years old. Wilson has had success in the pocket before, and once threw the best deep ball in the NFL — but his distinction as an elite quarterback always lay in his scrambling and athleticism.

Offensive coordinators couldn’t draw up traditional schemes for a man who A) struggled to see above the line and B) was regularly holding on to the ball for five seconds-plus as he flustered would-be sackers. But he isn’t that guy anymore and hasn’t been for a while. Fields may have just put Wilson’s starting days out to pasture.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, Wilson was expected to start in Week 1 but was scratched due to a nagging calf injury. He was never, however, a given to be behind center before training camp started.

Russell’s production dwindled in Denver in 2022 and 2023, when his quarterback rating ranked 27th and 21st in the NFL, respectively. His passing numbers saw an uptick last season, but the 45 sacks he took were the fourth-most in football, and he has been among the four most-sacked quarterbacks in every healthy season he’s had since 2015.

Then Fields went out Sunday and put up 156 yards on 17-of-23 passing with no touchdowns or interceptions. Spectacular? Hardly. Enough to propel Pittsburgh to an 18-10 win over the Falcons? Definitely.

This isn’t Jimmy Garoppolo filling in for Tom Brady while he serves his suspension. This is a capable quarterback taking advantage of an opportunity presented by an injured player three years past his prime.

To be fair, Fields isn’t so dynamic that he can’t be replaced following a dud performance or two. But his track record isn’t necessarily embarrassing, either. He threw for 2,562 yards on 227-of-370 passing (61.4 percent) last season for the Bears while throwing 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions. The year before he tallied 2,242 yards on 192-of-318 passing (60.4 percent) while throwing 17 TDs against 11 picks. But the 25-year-old also amassed 1,143 rushing yards on a league-leading 7.1 yards per carry that year, leading to him (somehow) finishing ninth in the MVP voting despite Chicago’s 3-14 record.

So now as Wilson continues to nurse his calf, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says he is sticking with Fields. Another couple of victories, and that could be the case all season.

And so the post-Seattle saga of Wilson could continue to be one of the most tumultuous turns for a possible (likely) Hall of Famer that we’ve ever seen. How do you feel if you’re a Seahawks die-hard?

Do you continue to jeer the nine-time Pro Bowler who pushed his way out of the Emerald City with two years left on his nine-figure deal? Or do you root for retribution for the Super Bowl champion who might be on this town’s sports Mount Rushmore?

I’m sometimes reluctant to write about Russ given that he hasn’t donned a Seahawks jersey since the 2021 season. But I can’t help but feel that Seattle sports fans are as fascinated by his career as they are any of their own athletes.

This was his city, particularly in the post Legion of Boom era, when he was as active in charitable causes as he was productive on the field. But then he made clear he wanted out after signing a four-year, $140 million contract.

Yes, it appears as if this helped the Seahawks, as they landed a bevy of early-round draft picks while watching Geno Smith surpass Wilson as a quarterback. But it still upset fans. I’m sure many remain upset today.

The 12s have plenty on their mind with new coach Mike Macdonald trying to turn around a defense that was among the league’s most porous in each of the past four seasons. They’re waiting to see if this franchise can get back to double-digit wins for the first time since 2020.

But Wilson’s status will never leave Seahawks fans’ peripheral vision so long as he is in the NFL. And given his age, lingering calf issues and subpar performances over the past couple of years, his status as a starting quarterback may be forever the thing of the past.

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