Russell Wilson took over as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, replacing Justin Fields after he led them to a 4-2 record. And as Wilson took back the job, it sounds like he’s grateful for everything Fields did during the first six games.
During his postgame interview on the field after leading the team to a dominant win over the New York Jets on Sunday night, Russell Wilson sent a pretty clear message to Justin Fields for how he performed in his absence.
“I also want to give credit to Justin [Fields], man. How he got us in this position – what a great player he is,” Wilson said.
Russell Wilson after Steelers win in his first start: “We’re capable of a lot… we left a lot on the table.
“I also want to give credit to Justin, man. How he got us in this position. What a great player he is. Just this whole team.” pic.twitter.com/Sb3kaAe12I
— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) October 21, 2024
“Just this whole team. I truly love it, I just really love being here,” Wilson said.
Wilson and Fields both joined the team this offseason with Wilson signing as a free agent after getting cut by the Denver Broncos and Fields joining by way of a trade with the Chicago Bears after they chose to replace him with rookie Caleb Williams.
The two quarterbacks competed for the starting role leading into the season with Wilson ultimately winning the starting job. However, he did not get a chance to start the first six games with the team.
Just days before the start of the season, Wilson suffered a calf injury that sidelined him, paving the way for Fields to start in his place. Fields played quite well, leading the team to a 4-2 record with 10 total touchdowns compared to just one interception.
Even though Fields played well, the Steelers still decided to insert Wilson back into the starting lineup once he was healthy this week, and Wilson performed quite well.
In his first start with the Steelers, he broke the team record for most passing yards in a debut and became the first quarterback ever to lead the team to 30 or more points in his debut.
While it was a controversial decision to start Wilson over Fields on Sunday night, it seems like it worked out for the Steelers.
It’s safe to say that Wilson will likely be the team’s starter for the rest of the season, too.
