Russell Wilson or Justin Fields: Who will be QB1 for the Steelers next season?

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin was upfront with Justin Fields at the time of the trade, that Russell Wilson will be the starter.

Russell Wilson or Justin Fields: Who will be QB1 for the Steelers next season?

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields (via IMAGO)

Whether it’s the Chicago Bears or Pittsburgh Steelers, a question with the starting quarterback involving Justin Fields seems inevitable. As of now the big question within the NFL is who would handle the offense next season: Fields or Russell Wilson. 

Last Saturday, the Steelers cleared out the biggest dilemma of the Bears this offseason by offering a trade deal for quarterback Fields. But just before that, Pittsburgh had inked the nine-time Pro Bowler Wilson in a one-year contract deal and traded their former starter, Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

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This clearly states, that they signed Fields as a backup to Wilson and learned from the Super Bowl champion. A source close to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, confirmed this news, reporting there is no quarterback competition in the Steelers as “Russ is the starter.”

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Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was upfront with Fields at the time of the trade that Wilson would be the starter, to avoid any confusion or controversy later on. With Pickett’s departure due to his lack of professionalism with Wilson’s trade, Fields will be quarterback No. 2 while the former Broncos QB will be No. 1. 

How Justin Fields’ missed opportunity with the Eagles?

Interestingly, Pickett wasn’t the first choice of the Eagles either. It was found that before signing the former Steelers starter, Philly checked in with the Bears for a potential trade for Fields this offseason, as reported by ESPN’s Dan Graziano. 

Unfortunately, they couldn’t come up with a reasonable trade price and the Eagles went ahead with Pickett. If the trade had happened, it would have been a far better spot for Fields, than the Steelers, as he would have gotten an opportunity to clear from two-time Pro Bowler, Jalen Hurts. 

Justin Fields
Justin Fields (Via Dynasty League Football)

For now, Steelers knows Fields’s lacking point: he needs to improve his skills as a passer. In the 13 games he played last season with the Bears, he logged 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns, and an average of 61.4 completion percent of his passes. 

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