Steelers confirm Russell Wilson vs. Justin Fields decision as starting QB for new NFL season is revealed

Russell Wilson has been named the starting quarterback of the Steelers by Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin.

The veteran Super Bowl winner beat out fellow first-year Steeler Justin Fields for the job after an abridged preseason during which he completed 10 of 12 passes for 73 yards over 25 preseason snaps. 

Fields, a former first-round pick by the Chicago Bears, completed 19 of 27 passes for 199 yards while running 52 plays for Pittsburgh during the preseason.

Tomlin has said repeatedly that Wilson was ‘pole position’ for the starting job, but hadn’t confirmed his decision until after his team’s three exhibitions. 

The Steelers signed Wilson this offseason after he was cut in Denver, where he struggled for two seasons under head coach Sean Payton. The Broncos are still on the hook for $39 million of Wilson’s $41.2 million salary in 2024. 

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields, right, and Russell Wilson (3) warm up

Wilson arrived in Denver in a 2022 trade from Seattle, where he previously won a Super Bowl, and promptly signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the Broncos.

Unfortunately for Wilson and Broncos fans, the Pro Bowl quarterback struggled in Denver, going 11-19 in two seasons, while quarrelling with Payton.

In fact, Wilson was briefly benched by Payton in Denver and later accused the head coach of pressuring him to adjust his $37 million injury guarantee for the 2024 campaign.

Russell declined to change anything in the contract and remained the starter until he was benched following a loss to the Patriots on Christmas Eve in what the Broncos insist was a football move, not a financial one. The Broncos didn’t respond publicly to Wilson’s comments about being threatened with his starting job.

A former Ohio State star, Fields was acquired for a conditional sixth-round pick from Chicago just three seasons after he was drafted 11th overall by the Bears.

He has struggled over 38 NFL stars, going 10-28 while taking a whipping 135 sacks. In fact, Wilson and Fields tied in 2022 with a league-worst 55 sacks and they weren’t much better in 2023 as the former was sacked 45 times to the latter’s 44.