So far in his future Hall of Fame career, Russell Wilson hasn’t experienced much adversity from a playing-time standpoint.
Of course, when he entered the NFL, he was a third-round pick slotted behind a big-money free agency signing in Seattle in Matt Flynn. Wilson let his play do the talking though, leading to him earning the starting job for the Seahawks as a rookie.
Since then, Wilson has never truly been challenged.
Until now, at least in the eyes of former NFL defensive end Chris Long.
During an appearance on the latest episode of the “Green Light” podcast, Long stated that Wilson is going to see “how the other half lives” in the NFL, and that he’ll get to experience the “unfairness of the NFL” now that he has fourth-year quarterback Justin Fields behind him.
“Russell Wilson is seeing how the other half lives. He’s not only feeling the unfairness of the NFL, but he’s also feeling the pressure because he’s never had a guy backing him up like this,” Long said of Wilson in Pittsburgh, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “The minute he doesn’t play well, that stadium, that city’s gonna turn on him.”
In his 13 NFL seasons, Wilson has never truly had anyone challenge him for the starting job, in the offseason, training camp and the preseason, or during the season. He’s always been the unquestioned guy under center, save for the end of his Denver tenure when he got benched late in 2023 after refusing to waive injury guarantees in his contract.
But that might not be the case in Pittsburgh due to Fields’ presence.
Though the Steelers are stating that Wilson is in the pole position for QB1 reps this offseason and that he’s expected to be the starter when the season opens, the Steelers made the savvy move to acquire Fields from the Chicago Bears. After giving up only a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, they now have a very competent backup quarterback who has 38 career NFL starts.
Fields is viewed as the quarterback of the future in Pittsburgh, but Wilson is also viewed as a long-term viable option, too, creating a very interesting situation in the Steelers’ quarterback room.
Wilson will have to hit the ground running quickly during the season to keep Fields at bay. If not, Long is spot on: the fans will start calling for Fields quickly, which will be something Wilson has never experienced. Hopefully he doesn’t find himself looking over his shoulder early on, hindering his play.
