Justin Fields might just be the QB1 over Russell Wilson at the Steelers
The Steelers initial game plan is to start Russell Wilson and retain Justin Fields as the backup QB.
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Russell Wilson and Justin Fields (via IMAGO)
The Pittsburgh Steelers went from being in a rough quarterback situation to having two talented players on their roster. The team acquired Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears and also signed Russell Wilson, who was released by the Denver Broncos to a team-friendly deal for one year. The status quo in the offensive locker room is that Wilson will be the starter for the team. However, it is interesting to note that at the time of signing with the Steelers, the Fields trade had not gone through.
Pittsburgh had hoped to make Russell Wilson the starter and Kenny Pickett as the team’s backup QB. But Pickett did not wish to be in that situation and subsequently signed with the Eagles. One of the driving reasons that led the former Denver Broncos QB to sign with the Steelers was the fact that the team guaranteed him the starter’s role. There is no clarity on the terms of Fields’ contract concerning playing time.
But as per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Wilson’s job is not completely secure. “Plans can change” and result in Fields being named the starter at the commencement of the regular season. Mike Tomlin has made it clear for now that the veteran will start and the young QB is there to serve as a backup. But it is still March.
Justin Fields can win the starter’s position over Russell Wilson if he outperforms the QB in practice
At this stage, the roster plans made public by teams should be taken with a grain of salt. Head coaches and GMs will name the players they expect to be the starters around September end. But a lot can change during training camp. If Justin Fields outperforms Russell Wilson in practice and manages to fit into the team’s offensive system better than the veteran, there will be no reason for Tomlin to stick with Wilson as his starting QB.
After all, Wilson’s contract costs the team a minimum amount of $1.2 million for just one year. Financially, the team is not obligated to appoint him as the starter because they are not paying him a huge sum which would compel them to utilize him. In an ideal situation, the Steelers are likely to stick with Wilson as their starter for this season and train Fields in the backdrop to familiarize him with the team’s offensive scheme.
After Wilson’s contract expires at the end of the season, the team will bring in Fields as the franchise QB and stick with him. Throughout the season, Fields will be given ample opportunities to play, he has the edge over the veteran because he is just 25 and can throw the ball and scramble better than Russ. Based on Mike Tomlin’s approach in the past, he is likely to make Wilson and Fields compete for the starting job, he may decide to determine the team’s starter on a game-to-game basis. Ultimately, Pittsburgh is in a better place this year when it comes to the QB position. It will be interesting to see how the dynamic of Fields and Wilson will ultimately play out for the team.
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Sumedh Joshi
(2235 Articles Published)