Steelers' Russell Wilson Seems To Lock Up Starting Job After Final Preseason Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the most intriguing quarterback competitions throughout the league ahead of the 2024 season. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are new to the Black and Gold, and the fan base has been fairly divided in terms of who should start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. Neither quarterback had played extremely well throughout Pittsburgh's first two preseason games, but after the preseason finale, the job seems to be locked up.

Wilson had been hindered by a calf injury throughout the majority of training camp and during the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans. Fields did a good job filling in for the veteran during practice, but struggled some in the preseason. Wilson has held onto his "pole position" title throughout the entire preseason, and after his performance against the Detroit Lions, the starting job is most likely his.

Wilson trotted out for the coin toss as the lone captain for the Steelers, which already says a lot about how the team views him as a leader. Pittsburgh won the toss, elected to receive, and Wilson led the starting offense down the field for their first touchdown of the preseason with the starters. He completed two passes on the drive -- one was a screen to George Pickens for negative yardage. The other - an impressive deep ball to Pickens for 32 yards.

Wilson and Pickens seemed to have built a good chemistry, and it certainly showed against Detroit. The two are a perfect pairing as Wilson is one of the best deep passers in the league, and Pickens is one of the best deep threats in the league. The drive was topped off by a touchdown run from Cordarrelle Patterson as the Steelers took a 7-0 lead. It was the only drive from Wilson, as Fields replaced him the next time Pittsburgh's offense took the field.

Throughout training camp and the preseason, it was understood that Fields was competing with Wilson for the starting job, but many had doubt that it was ever truly a competition. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has a history of putting on quarterback competitions, but never giving the second quarterback a chance to start. A prime example of this was ahead of the 2022 season, when rookie Kenny Pickett never truly had a chance to surpass Mitch Trubisky on the depth chart.

Wilson found success against Detroit in the preseason finale, but it is worth noting that Detroit didn't play a lot of their defensive starters. Wilson will have a much larger challenge on September 8th in Atlanta against a new-look defense from the Falcons.

Steelers Will Need To Find A Way To Decide On The Future Of Justin Fields

Fields will enter the 2024 season as a backup, which was expected by most. Both he and Wilson are entering the final year of their deals, so the future of the quarterback position past the 2024 season is still up in the air. There is a chance Wilson could struggle during the regular season and be replaced by Fields, which could give the organization a better look at the fourth-year quarterback while deciding if he should be signed to a new contract.

Sitting behind Wilson and learning from the veteran will only be beneficial for Fields. He will likely still be featured in specific packages that showcase his athleticism, as he is one of the best runners at the quarterback position in football. For now, Pittsburgh fans will have to wait to see Fields.

What do you think about Wilson being the likely starter for Week 1? Let us know in the comments below!

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