Russell Wilson is the undisputed king when it comes to providing lengthy quotes that largely consist of positive talk echoing the company line. But for one rare moment Tuesday, it appeared Wilson let his guard down while inadvertently showing some frustration as he spent yet another practice watching Justin Fields run the Steelers’ first-team offense.
Wilson, who practiced sparingly Tuesday for the first time since injuring his calf, looked directly at the camera when asked about what hurdles he has to clear before he would be given the green light to be a full-go at practice. Wilson’s answer wasn’t terribly insightful, but his eyes and the tone of his answer said plenty.
“Just take it one day at a time,” Wilson said. “Just one day at a time. I’ll be ready to go when it’s time.”
Maybe I’m reaching, but it didn’t appear that Wilson loved the question. While he continues to exude optimism, it can’t be fun observing practice while watching your backup gain momentum, as Fields certainly has over the past six practices.
He may not be Jalen Hurts, but Fields is playing well and taking advantage of his chance to run the Steelers’ first-team offense. He’s displayed an accurate deep ball, eludes pass rushers like Ben Roethlisberger did in his prime and has developed an immediate rapport with No. 1 wideout George Pickens.
He’s elite,” Fields said of Pickens during an interview with CBS Sports HQ. “50-50 balls aren’t really 50-50 balls, they’re more like 90-10 with him. He’s elite in space. He’s elite with the ball in his hands. I’ve known George for a long time now. I’ve seen him kind of grow through the years, from high school to college to where he is now. He’s getting better and better and better. I’m excited for this upcoming year.”
Watching Fields and Pickens together, one can’t help but wonder if and when a division could develop between teammates who prefer Fields over Wilson. Fields is younger and likely relates to his teammates better than the 35-year-old Wilson. It’s clear that Fields has already won the respect of his offensive line, which immediately retaliated on Wednesday when he took a shot from linebacker Elandon Roberts on a running play.
Conversely, it’s fair to assume some of the Steelers older vets would prefer the more polished Wilson, especially on the defensive side of the ball. After all, Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt — two of the Steelers defensive stalwarts who are desperate to get a shot at winning a ring — openly recruited Wilson while Kenny Pickett was still their teammate.
It’s hard to believe that this is where we are less than a week after Steelers camp opened. But as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin often says (and did so again on Wednesday), “One man’s misfortunes are another man’s opportunity.” Such is the current situation between Fields and Wilson.
And for those saying the Steelers’ quarterback battle is anything but, Tomlin himself threw gas on that proverbial fire following Tuesday’s practice.
“We’ve got two really capable guys,” Tomlin told CBS Sports HQ. “We’re going to create an environment where they get an opportunity to compete and see where they’re capable of. … Justin has really taken advantage of the opportunity for additional snaps because Russ has been out some the first week. Really just excited about the trajectory of it. Excited to continue to go with the process and having them display their skills.”
It’s true that the Steelers’ plan entering camp was to let this be a developmental year for Fields, who, to his detriment, was immediately thrown into the fire in Chicago. But even the best-laid plans change sometimes, and that could very well be the case in Pittsburgh if things continue to follow its current course.
Of course, this whole story has a chance to be another one of those training camp narratives that ends up being forgotten. But I don’t think that will be the case, even if Wilson lights it up whenever he is given the green light to resume practicing in full. Really, the only way this story dies is if Fields starts to regress.
There are some who feel that Fields isn’t and may never be able to realize his potential as a franchise quarterback, largely because of his penchant for making mistakes. But several notable young, turnover-prone quarterbacks throughout history have learned to rein things in in. Peyton Manning, for example, threw a rookie-record 28 picks back in 1998. Terry Bradshaw, the Steelers Hall of Fame quarterback, threw 24 picks against just 6 touchdown passes during his rookie season.
Fields has competent coaching in Pittsburgh, led by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He also has a solid offensive line, one of the NFL’s top running back duos and one of the league’s top young wideouts in Pickens. The receiving corps is thin, but Pittsburgh somewhat makes up for that with tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Connor Heyward.
Wilson may be the better quarterback from a fundamental standpoint, but Fields is a vastly superior athlete who with his running brings another element to the Steelers offense. For years, Tomlin has coveted having a mobile quarterback who can mimic things Lamar Jackson can do. He finally has one in Fields.
Can Wilson and Fields co-exist in an actual position battle? All signs point to yes. Fields was a fan of Wilson growing up, and Wilson appears to be open to helping Fields. The locker room, however, may be a different story, especially if Wilson continues to miss time and Fields continues to make the most of his reps.
Any Steelers fan knows that Pittsburgh enters every year with championship aspirations, whether they’re legitimate or not. They’re not the favorites this year, but the Steelers have a good chance at snapping their drought without a playoff win (which is currently at eight years) and taking things from there.
In their quarterback, the Steelers need someone who can run Smith’s run-first offense, keep defenses honest with timely, accurate passing while largely taking care of the football. Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback should also have the ability to create plays when the situation calls for it.
Whoever can do that better should be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2024, pole positions and past history be dammed.
