When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field for their Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday, they’ll do so with a new starting quarterback.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Steelers will make the move to start Russell Wilson, in what will mark the Super Bowl-winning quarterback’s debut with the franchise. Justin Fields had started Pittsburgh’s first six games of the season, helping lead the Steelers to a 4-2 record.
Pittsburgh had acquired both Wilson and Fields this past offseason after trading 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. The two quarterbacks competed with each other in training camp for the Steelers’ starting quarterback job, with Fields ultimately getting the nod as Wilson battled a calf injury.
While Field had performed admirably in his six starts with the Steelers, the former Ohio State star self-admittedly didn’t do enough to solidify himself as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. With Wilson having recovered from his injury, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had remained noncommittal regarding who his starting quarterback would be throughout the week, with all signs pointing to a switch to the 35-year-old quarterback.
According to NFL.com, this will be the first time in the Super Bowl era that a team with a record of 4-2 or better has made a change at quarterback for reasons other than injury in Week 7. Sunday will also mark Wilson’s first start since Week 15 of the 2023 season, which he spent with the Denver Broncos.
[NFL.com]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.