In the battle of Justin Fields vs. Russell Wilson, it seems ownership would prefer to start 2025 with the quarterback who ended 2024. Appearing on 93.7 The Fan Friday afternoon, Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly hinted that owner Art Rooney II prefers Wilson to Fields.
“The people at the top of the organization that might make the ultimate decisions are No. 3 fans over No. 2 fans,” Kaboly told The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, referring to Wilson’s No. 3 jersey over Fields’ No. 2.
It’s a more concrete comment than what Kaboly made exactly one week ago, hinting that ownership preferred Wilson before walking his statement back.
“I heard that maybe Art is more in favor of Russ than maybe the rest,” Kaboly told The Fan on Feb. 7. “Now who has last call on this? I don’t know. I don’t think Art would stick his nose in and say, ‘We are taking Russ and forget about it,’ but I think that they made it crystal clear, at least Art did, to me, and I do believe him on this one. They wanna bring one of them back and I think it’s going to depend on which option they have.”
Rooney is on record stating that his “preference” is for one of Fields or Wilson to return, and he expressed positive sentiments about Fields during his late-January media scrum.
Even as Kaboly made the declaration over ownership’s feelings, he still gave the nod to Fields being more likely to return than Wilson, calling the latter a “solid Plan B.” Asked if Mike Tomlin also prefers Wilson to Fields, Kaboly said, “I don’t know,” in a literal whisper.
Mike Tomlin favored Russell Wilson throughout the 2024 season. The Steelers were the first team to call Wilson once he became available and were Wilson’s second visit after meeting with the New York Giants first. After signing with Pittsburgh, he won the quarterback “battle” despite missing most of the summer with a calf injury. Tomlin also made the controversial decision to turn to Wilson midway through the season despite Fields leading Pittsburgh to a 4-2 start, seemingly going against the grain of the rest of the organization.
If Rooney and Tomlin are aligned on Wilson, then it’s only logical he’s the favorite to return. Determining a contract is an obstacle and could potentially obstruct a deal though Fields’ market value is hardly any clearer.
Though Kaboly’s comment about ownership is notable, he diluted it with the rest of his commentary about Fields. Ultimately, no one seems to know which direction the Steelers will go. Some insiders don’t believe even the organization is sure. With the NFL Scouting Combine and free agency fast approaching, there might soon be clarity.
