Ever since Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were added to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster within a week of each other back in March, Mike Tomlin has made it clear that Wilson has the inside track in the impending QB competition. The 10 sessions of offseason training activities over the last few weeks have furthered that idea with reports of Wilson getting most of the QB1 reps. But that doesn’t mean the competition is over.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith met with the media during the first day of mandatory minicamp today and spoke briefly about the QB competition.
“Mike’s stated on the record, Russ is in pole position. It’s a competition. Obviously [when] we get to Latrobe, certainly I’m sure things will heat up,” Smith said in a clip posted by 93.7 The Fan on X. “Both those guys knew that however they were acquired when they got here. I think it’s been pretty transparent. I know Mike said that on the record as well.”
OTAs, and even mandatory minicamp, aren’t the appropriate time to already be messing with the pecking order at quarterback. The practices are very limited in terms of what they can do with contact and game-simulated action. With Wilson being given pole position entering this phase of the offseason, it is only natural to keep things that way until training camp begins and the actual competition starts to unfold.
Smith’s words serve as further confirmation that Fields will in fact be given opportunities to compete for the job. Even when Tomlin announced Wilson’s pole position, he said that Fields would be given opportunities to compete when appropriate.
Fields joined the Steelers being fully aware that Wilson was on the roster. He has since stated that he didn’t join the team to sit on the bench all season. He fully intends to compete.
The Steelers have every reason to want Fields to compete. In an ideal scenario, Fields would find a way to win the job. He is just 25 years old and has youth on his side when it comes to the possibility of being a future franchise QB. Wilson is a decade older and is closer to the end of his career than the beginning at this point. To what extent will Fields be given these opportunities? That part is unclear. The Steelers don’t exactly have the best track record of letting competitions work themselves out over the last two seasons.
Kenny Pickett lost the Steelers’ QB competition his rookie season before being thrust into action in Week 4. And Mason Rudolph had to wait his turn behind Pickett and Mitch Trubisky last season before emerging as the clear best option by the end of the season.
Perhaps it will be different this time around given the age gap between the two quarterbacks as well as the very small investment the team has in either of them.
