On Wednesday, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Russell Wilson will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback for the Week 1 clash with the Atlanta Falcons.
It means Justin Fields, who was acquired from the Chicago Bears in a March trade, will start the season as the backup QB.
Wilson and Fields have been in competition all summer long but Tomlin made it clear from the outset that the former Broncos signal caller Wilson would enter training camp in ‘pole position’ for the spot.
Both players endured a mixed bag of a preseason but in the end Tomlin has plumped for veteran experience over athletic youth.
Fields fans were disappointed by the announcement but think it’s only a matter of time before he gets his chance in Tomlin’s offense.
“Fields will be starting by week 3,” wrote one fan.
“Fields will be the starter by week 8. Bookmark it,” added another.
“Won’t be long till he’s benched and Fields takes over. We all know this,” wrote a third.
Fields completed 19 of 27 attempts for 199 yards in preseason and led one scoring drive, while Wilson completed 10 of 12 attempts for 73 yards and led a scoring drive.
Turnovers and sacks, a theme of Fields’ time in Chicago, started to rear their ugly head again, though, which may have prompted Tomlin to go with Wilson in the end.
Wilson was released by the Denver Broncos two seasons into his five-year, $245million contract earlier this year before joining the Steelers in free agency.
He’s playing for relative peanuts this year — a one-year, $1.2 million contract — as he’s still owed Wilson $37.7 million by Denver for the 2024 season.
In truth, Wilson being named as the Steelers starter is hardly surprising.
At the start of training camp, Tomlin let it be known that it was his to lose.
“We’ve been very transparent about the pecking order, at least to start,” he told reporters at the time.
“I just think that provides clarity for all parties involved. Russell is a veteran, man. He’s got a proven process of readiness. He’s been in this league a long time. He’s capable of rallying troops, receivers, tight ends, running backs, et cetera.
“He’s just got a lot of experience in terms of what it takes to be the guy over the course of a 12-month calendar and I just think that that’s something that a younger guy like Justin could learn from.”
However, he left the door open for Fields to win the job.
“Rest assured when it’s time to compete, Justin will be given an opportunity to compete,” Tomlin said. “And we’ll allow those guys to sort themselves out.”
Fields will now be waiting in the wings where he will likely need Wilson to struggle or miss time to see significant snaps.
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