Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields has been good enough so far, so it's clear it won't be that easy for Russell Wilson to win back his presumptive job.
The Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year contract during the offseason, then traded him for Fields less than a week later, causing chaos.
There was widespread speculation that Wilson would be the starting pitcher, but he ultimately won the job. However, shortly after that, Fields suffered a calf injury and was forced to start.
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Russell Wilson of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Acresure Stadium in Pittsburgh on September 22nd. (Brandon Slotter/Getty Images)
The Steelers are 3-2 with Fields, and Wilson has been given time to get healthy, but he is finally ready to be active this weekend.
But given Fields' success, it's no wonder head coach Mike Tomlin said Wilson “will probably thrive as a No. 2 quarterback.”
“Like what I've seen here, healthy and rust are two different things. I thought he had a good week showing his health and ability to protect himself. Now he's in the process of readjusting to the ball. It's not too much,” Tomlin told reporters on Friday.
Russell Wilson (left) and Justin Fields of the Pittsburgh Steelers appear during the team's OTA offseason training at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on June 6 in Pittsburgh. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
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“I thought he had a good week,” Tomlin added. “He's proven he's healthy now. It's just a matter of knocking off the rust.”
This wording certainly makes it sound like the plan is to eventually bring Wilson back into the team, so perhaps Fields will get a short lead this weekend against the Las Vegas Raiders.
But Fields currently has a career-high 67.6 completion percentage and has only turned the ball over twice this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields attempts a pass during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on September 29. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
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He also has 172 yards rushing through the first five games. Fields is nowhere near the 1,000-yard pace he was aiming for in 2022, but he certainly hasn't cost the team games, which is about all Pittsburgh could have asked for.
Wilson went 11-19 as a starter with the Denver Broncos in 2022 and 2023, completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.
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