The Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Russell Wilson on a minimum deal after the Denver Broncos cut him and traded for Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields ahead of his team drafting Caleb Williams No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite Fields being the younger, (often) more effective signal-caller these days, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin says Wilson has a leg up in the starting quarterback completion, and he’s not wavering on that sentiment.
Mike Tomlin says Russell Wilson is in “pole position” for Steelers starting QB job
There is plenty of debate among Steelers fans and in the NFL world as to whether Russell Wilson or Justin Fields should be the Steelers starting QB come September. For now, though, Mike Tomlin says the veteran is the leader in the clubhouse.
“Steelers coach Mike Tomlin reiterated that Russell Wilson ‘has pole position’ to be the starting QB,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday.
While this may frustrate fans who would like to see the younger signal-caller get a chance first before the seemingly washed veteran, Tomlin also had a lot of good things to say about Fields and even suggested that the “pole position” is only due to offseason concerns.
Justin Fields still has a good shot at starting
Rapoport also reported that Tomlin says he’s, “Not against competition. And ‘when it’s time to compete, Justin will be given an opportunity to show his capabilities,’” and the former Bears passer “oozes talent.”
Tomlin also said that Fields will get a fair shake from his new coach and organization.
“I'm not judging anything that was done in Chicago. That's not my business. I just look at the pedigree and the talent, the things that are not relative to coaching,” Tomlin told reporters, per The Athletic’s Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo.
Additionally, the most telling thing that Tomlin said to the media is that the reason he is more comfortable with Wilson at this moment is because of what he expects this offseason.
“Tomlin explained one reason he's giving Russell Wilson ‘pole position’ is he wants a veteran QB who can organize offseason training sessions with the rest of the offense,” DeFabo reports in another tweet. “‘During this time where we are not formally working, man, I just think it's beneficial.’”
This seems to suggest that the two QBs may be starting their competition over again once formal training camp starts in late July.
Who should be the Steelers starting quarterback?
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both flawed QBs, which is why the Steelers were able to bring them in for next to nothing in terms of money and draft capital.
Wilson was 11-19 in Denver with 6,594 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. Fields, in a year longer with the Bears, went 10-28 with 6,674 yards, 40 TDs, and 30 INTS. He also added 2,220 rushing yards and 14 scores on the ground.
The tale of the tape here suggests that, at this point, the two are relatively even, with Wilson holding a small advantage.
That said, there are two numbers that should make a big difference here: 35 and 25. Those are the respective ages of Wilson and Fields.
The 2021 No. 11 overall pick is significantly younger than his Super Bowl-winning counterpart, so it stands to reason that Fields has a much higher ceiling than Wilson both this season and in the future.
If Mike Tomlin doesn’t figure out his long-term QB situation soon, he could be out as Steelers coach, so no matter who starts the 2024 campaign, the coach needs to give Fields a look at some point to see if he can be that guy because Wilson is nothing more than a stopgap at best.
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