George Pickens reveals Steelers' QB1 for Week 7 after Mike Tomlin's non-disclosure statement
George Pickens told reporters Mike Tomlin's best-kept secret.
The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach was adamant about not letting reporters know who he'd be starting at quarterback Sunday night against the New York Jets, after Justin Fields' rocky start to the season and Russell Wilson's recovery from an injury that kept him sidelined in the first six weeks of competition.
“I’m just going to keep that in-house,” Tomlin said. “I thought [Wilson] was sharp. I thought Justin was sharp as well. I thought we had a highly productive week from both guys and from the unit as a whole.”
Then comes Pickens, who didn't mince words and said he'd do everything to help Russell Wilson in his first start of the season.
"Yeah, [we're] getting on the same page after practice, more and more than usual 'cause, you know, this is his first start," Pickens told reporters in the team's locker room.
Although this seems like a very clear answer, it could be hinting at possibly using both Wilson and Fields against the Jets.
Wilson took first-team reps on Wednesday, which could be a major hint regarding Tomlin's plans at quarterback this weekend. The veteran is yet to make his regular-season debut with the Steelers after winning the race for the starting role in preseason.
Justin Fields made honest admission about his performance during Russell Wilson's time away from Steelers
Justin Fields has had a solid start to the 2024 NFL season, taking the Steelers to a 3-0 record early on. After improving to 4-2 in the season, Fields reflected on his level of performance.
“I mean, I don’t think I’ve played good enough, if I’m being real with you,” Fields said. “If I’m being real with myself, I think if I did play well enough, I don’t think there would be any sort [question] of who should be playing and who should not. At the end of the day, we got a few wins — of course I’m glad about that. But there are areas that I can get better at, and I’m just gonna continue to work on those and continue to get better.”
Things started to shake after the Colts beat them, 27-23, in Week 4 before the Cowboys beat them, 20-17, in primetime. They bounced back with a 32-13 win over the struggling Raiders, but Fields didn't connect with his receivers to score.
He reached the end zone twice with his legs, but that formula can't be used every single game.