The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the best stories in the NFL during the 2024 season. There were plenty of pundits in the media ahead of the season that predicted this season would be the time that Mike Tomlin's streak of winning seasons would come to a close, but Pittsburgh seems to be rolling as of late.The quarterback situation in Pittsburgh was a big topic of discussion leading up to the season, and the Steelers added more fuel to the fire when Justin Fields started the first six games of the year for an injured Russell Wilson.
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Steelers' Russell Wilson drops back to pass during a Sunday Night Football Game against the New York Jets.
Fields played well during the first six games of the year. He led the Steelers to a 4-2 record, and took care of the football while accounting for 10 touchdowns. Many fans wanted him to remain the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, but Tomlin opted to make the switch to Wilson once he was fully healthy.
It was certainly the right decision and it has paid off for Pittsburgh, but it was questionable at the time. NFL insider James Palmer was on Steve Smith Sr.'s podcast, and he shared that Tomlin was continuously letting Wilson know it was his team at the start of the year.
"I was talking to one of [Wilson's] former teammates the other day who told me, 'I still talk to Russ every single day. We text every single day.'" Palmer stated. "He said, 'You know what Russ needed? Russ needed a head coach that believed in him.' He said, 'Sean Payton didn't believe in him at all. You know what Mike Tomlin did? Mike Tomlin told him the entire time that Justin Fields was playing, this is still your team.'"
It would have been very easy for Wilson to get down on himself and give up on the season once Fields started playing well, but he knew he would be given the reigns to the offense once he was fully healthy. Wilson never lost his confidence due to the way Tomlin handled the situation. This is where things went wrong while Wilson was with the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton belittled him and he knew before accepting the coaching job in 2023 that he didn't want Wilson to be his quarterback.
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Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson points towards some of his teammates as the offense prepares to run a drill during 2024 mandatory minicamp in Pittsburgh, PA.
Wilson's play has surprised a ton of people, especially after two questionable seasons with the Broncos. It was clear Wilson wasn't set up to succeed while he was in Denver, and coming to Pittsburgh must feel like a breath of fresh air for the veteran quarterback. Through three starts Wilson has thrown for 737 yards and six touchdowns with just one interception, which has been the best quarterback play Pittsburgh has had since Ben Roethlisberger.
Fields and Wilson seem to have a great relationship, even with Wilson taking Fields' job after six games. The two quarterbacks wanted to play together, and the fourth-year quarterback is learning from Wilson, which should set him up well for the rest of his career.
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Steelers Quarterback Russell Wilson gets some work in during training camp 2024.
Steelers' Russell Wilson Could Put Pittsburgh In A Tough Spot
Wilson is only signed through the end of the 2024 season, and if he continues to play the way that he is he will likely get another contract in Pittsburgh. This could be tricky for the organization as Wilson will turn 36 at the end of November, and it is always risky signing older players to big deals.
The quarterback also wants to win at the end of his career, so it will be interesting to see if he takes a team-friendly deal so that Pittsburgh can stay out of cap-trouble for the foreseeable future. However, if Wilson keeps playing like this, he may earn himself a big pay day.
What do you think of Tomlin always knowing Wilson was his starting quarterback? Let us know in the comments below!
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