Justin Fields ‘will NOT immediately compete with Russell Wilson for the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh’ – as former Chicago Bear is told he will ride the bench to begin season
Russell Wilson will have no immediate competition for the starting spot in Pittsburgh after Justin Fields was “told he will be the Steelers’ backup to start the season.”
Pittsburgh landed two high-profile quarterbacks this week, signing Wilson after he was cut by the Denver Broncos and then Fields from Chicago in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Fields’ move raised questions about whether there would be a battle for the starting job in Pittsburgh, but new reports claim Wilson will be unchallenged to start the new season.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote on X that the Steelers “have told Fields he will be Wilson’s backup.”
Given the ages of the two players, that could change over time: Fields is only 25 and Wilson is 35 and entering the final years of his career.
Russell Wilson speaks to the media for the first time since his transfer to Pittsburgh
Hours later, it was announced that Justin Fields will join him on the Steelers roster
However, it could be a make or break choice for both players in 2024 as both have endured rough seasons for the Broncos and Bears respectively.
Wilson was traded to Denver in what turned out to be one of the most misguided moves in NFL history, with the Broncos He signed him to a five-year, $242.6 million deal.
They went 11-19 with him as the starting quarterback and failed to see the playoffs in both seasons.
Additionally, his time in white and orange came to an end when he was benched by head coach Sean Payton with two games remaining in 2023.
Wilson signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh after being fired by the Broncos after two years
Fields was drafted 11th overall by the Bears but struggled in his three seasons in Chicago
Fields, meanwhile, was widely seen as expendable after the Bears made the top pick in next month’s NFL Draft, where they are expected to take a quarterback.
The return for Fields isn’t much considering he was drafted 11th overall by the Bears just three years ago.
Since then, the athletic Georgian has thrown for forty touchdowns and thirty interceptions while rushing for fourteen more scores.
The Bears were 10-28 in the games he started, missing the playoffs in 2023.