Early Wilson injury adds intrigue to quarterback battle

LATROBE (Black & Gold Nation) — The quarterback battle in Steelers camp got off to an interesting start Thursday when Justin Fields took first-team reps, as a calf injury limited Russell Wilson.

Pittsburgh flipped its entire quarterback room on its head this offseason, adding new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and four new quarterbacks including Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson, and former first-round pick Justin Fields.

Neither quarterback is under contract in 2025, and while Wilson is the presumed week one starter, a battle between him and Fields could ensue well into the regular season making his first-team reps Thursday a small, early victory.

“It was an awesome opportunity for Justin and a challenge for our offensive unit to deal with a little adversity at the outset,” Head coach Mike Tomlin said. “You know, we all like to start with great fluidity and clean, but man, football isn’t always like that. And so really I looked at it as a good thing for a collective, a challenge for the offensive unit.”

Russell Wilson’s fall from grace as an elite NFL quarterback happened quickly, and isn’t always supported by the stat sheet. He remains an efficient quarterback who last season threw for 3,000 yards, with 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His teams, however, have not won many games.

Many expect Wilson to win the Steelers’ starting job, but Fields provides ample long-term opportunity. He is just 26 years old and at one time, particularly in 2022, looked like a top-10 NFL quarterback with elite mobility. Some believe the two could spawn a successful mentor-mentee relationship.

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“Any question that I have, I can always go to Russ asking for advice,” Fields said. “You know, he’s going to give his knowledge to me. Of course, he’s been in the league for a long time. So, you know, any advice he has for me, I’m always open and willing to take that.”

Both quarterbacks come into camp one expiring contracts and whoever wins the week one job will mark the fourth-straight season Pittsburgh opens the season with a different week one quarterback.

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