NFL Rumors: Russell Wilson Seen as Steelers’ Starting QB Despite Justin Fields Trade
Erin WalshMarch 16, 2024
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The Pittsburgh Steelers now have two QB1-caliber quarterbacks on their roster after signing Russell Wilson in free agency and reportedly acquiring Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears on Saturday.
However, it appears there will not be a quarterback competition between the two as a source texted NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero saying “Russ is the starter.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Brooke Pryor also confirmed Wilson will be ahead of Fields on the depth chart in the wake of the trade.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated added that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin “was upfront with Justin Fields—told him that Russell Wilson is the starter, and Fields will work from there.”
Albert Breer @AlbertBreerSteelers coach Mike Tomlin was upfront with Justin Fields—told him that Russell Wilson is the starter, and Fields will work from there. Fields has told people he’s excited for the new beginning.
Tomlin’s connections at Ohio State run deep, so that didn’t hurt.
The Steelers’ quarterback room has been completely overhauled over the last week.
Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Steelers after being released by the Denver Broncos, and the franchise traded 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.
Pittsburgh opted to trade Pickett because he “was poorly handling” the arrival of Wilson, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Ironically, the Eagles had discussions with the Bears about a trade for Fields prior to acquiring Pickett, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Friday on SportsCenter. The two sides couldn’t agree on a price, Graziano added.
Furthermore, Mitchell Trubisky signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills in free agency, and Mason Rudolph signed an agreement with the Tennessee Titans. Both players spent time backing up Pickett in 2023.
While Wilson, a 12-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl champion, appears set to start the 2024 campaign as Pittsburgh’s starter, there’s always a chance he could be benched in favor of Fields.
The 35-year-old is well past his prime, though he still put together a decent 2023 season with the Broncos, completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 15 games, in addition to rushing for 341 yards and three scores.
The biggest issue with Fields is that he needs to progress as a passer. The 2021 first-round pick completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 13 games last season.
Fields showed some improvement as a passer in 2023, having also only rushed for 657 yards and four scores in comparison to rushing for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, but he needs to make a big leap if he hopes to keep his role as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
