When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for former Chicago Bears starting quarterback Justin Fields over the weekend, many thought that it would mean he would compete with Russell Wilson for the starting quarterback role after the team added Wilson last week. But it sounds like that won’t actually be the plan.
According to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin informed Russell Wilson that he was the team’s starting quarterback even before they officially added Justin Fields.
“Speaking of Justin Fields and the #Steelers trade, coach Mike Tomlin reached out to Russell Wilson last night when the trade was going down to let him know he was the starter. @TomPelissero said it last night, and Tomlin views that as the plan. Fields will compete, regardless,” Rapoport said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
Speaking of Justin Fields and the #Steelers trade, coach Mike Tomlin reached out to Russell Wilson last night when the trade was going down to let him know he was the starter. @TomPelissero said it last night, and Tomlin views that as the plan. Fields will compete, regardless.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2024
Obviously, there’s a chance that Wilson does not perform well and the team ultimately decides to roll with Fields as the starter, but it does not sound like the plan is for both of them to compete for the starting spot. Instead, the team has decided that Wilson will be the starter.
