Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson in free agency, but shortly after, they swung a trade to acquire Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears.
This has created some buzz about a potential quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh, but Tomlin downplayed the whole situation on Monday, essentially saying that the job is Wilson’s to lose.
“No, we’re not resistant to competition, but as I’ve mentioned several times of late, I just think it’s appropriate to establish positioning as we get into this thing,” Tomlin said, via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “The term that I’ve used is Russell has pole position, and why do I use that term? Because during this time where we are not formally working, man, I just think it’s beneficial. His experience in the National Football League. His process has been honed and perfected, talking about over a 12-month calendar. It’s not only good for him, but it’s good for teams, it’s good for receivers, tight ends, running backs, etc. All the things that people that are really committed to winning do this time of year.”
Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowler and has a Super Bowl championship under his belt, so it’s no surprise that he has the inside track to the starting job.
That being said, this is hardly the same version of Wilson from his Seattle Seahawks days.
Wilson spent the last two years with the Denver Broncos, posting the worst season of his career during his debut campaign with the club in 2022. This past season, Wilson was considerably better, but he still seems to be a far cry from his old self.
Given that Wilson is now 35 years old, that shouldn’t be too surprising.
But, Fields is inexperienced, inconsistent and has a lot to prove, and a year learning under Wilson might do him a lot of good.
“Russell has those resources, man, that structure, and so that’s why I say he has pole position, man,” added Tomin. “It just creates a synergy that I think is good for this time of year. When it’s time to compete, we get in training camp-like settings and go to preseason stadiums and so forth, obviously Justin will be given an opportunity that shows his capabilities.”
Chances are, Wilson will open the 2024 campaign as the Steelers’ starter, and unless he performs poorly, he will probably keep that job all season. Especially if Pittsburgh is in playoff contention (and there is little reason to believe that it won’t be after going 10-7 this past season).
Perhaps Fields will stand a better chance of winning the starting job in 2025, as Wilson is on a one-year deal.
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