Whether he welcomed competition or not, Russell Wilson welcomed Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, he quite possibly played a not insignificant role in bringing him here. While the Chicago Bears set their mind on trading him this offseason, they gave Fields freedom to play a role in his destination.
Russell Wilson revealed to Hannah Storm recently that not only was he communicating with Justin Fields during that time, they also talked about Fields’ options—including coming to the Steelers. Once Kenny Pickett requested a trade, everything else quickly fell into place.
“I think the best part about it is that when I was able to come here, shortly after, Justin [Fields] and I were texting about places [he could go] and this and that, and he ends up coming here, and we were talking about him coming here potentially”, Wilson said.
This is far from the first time Wilson or Fields have talked about their pre-existing relationship. They have been in contact with each other going back before Fields was in the NFL. This is, however, the first time that either has talked about discussing possibly playing for the Steelers together.
“Even before, we were just [talking]”, Wilson explained regarding his relationship with Fields. “Even from a distance, we’ve been close for quite some time [from] when he was in college. As a young black quarterback, I felt like there’s a responsibility for me to talk to other guys”.
A former first-round draft pick, Justin Fields knew he was unlikely to fall into an immediate starting opportunity elsewhere. From that perspective, coming to play for the Steelers and behind Russell Wilson probably didn’t seem like a bad option. And he obviously felt that way because the Bears accepted the Steelers’ offer in favor of better ones.
Even Fields admitted one of the teams that pursued him was the Baltimore Ravens, against whom the Steelers could debut a “Justin Fields package” on Sunday. Of course, Fields stood a much better chance of playing with Russell Wilson in front of him than Lamar Jackson.
As things transpired, Fields ended up starting the Steelers’ first six games due to Wilson’s calf injury. While he did well, the Steelers still pulled him in favor of Wilson once the nine-time Pro Bowler was healthy. Surely disappointed to some degree, he has nonetheless taken it in stride. And that’s likely in large part due to the relationship the two quarterbacks have.
“It’s an obligation to” help young quarterbacks, Russell Wilson said about his approach to working with Justin Fields. “I don’t want to hold my cards. I want to be able to help guys as much as I possibly can in whatever it may be. Just being an open phone for guys or whatever it may be. Justin and I over the years have been close. Then obviously when he came here, it was a great opportunity. He was a man ready to learn from you and just get to it and get after it”.
Perhaps most importantly, Justin Fields knows that even with Russell Wilson doing well, the Steelers still see a potential future with him. Now, that doesn’t mean he won’t sign somewhere else to take a starting opportunity in 2025. But if he does, you know Wilson will be just a text away. Until, then, Let’s Weld.
