Mike Tomlin lays gameplan for Russell Wilson and Justin Fields for preseason game vs Texans
Mike Tomlin set the order very clearly for the Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson is the starter and Justin Fields is the backup quarterback. Unless something hapens during the season, this is what the Steelers will trot when September comes, no matter what the outside perception is.
With the first game of the preseason on Thursday, fans might be expecting to see Wilson working with the first-team unit for at lease one or two drives. However, Tomlin has made it clear that there's no intention of the veteran quarterback going out and play against the Texans as they warm-up:
In terms of player availability, I have about seven guys that I'm scheduled not to utilize in this game: Isaac Seumalo, Cam Heyward, T, J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, there's been some guys that have dealt with minor training camp injuries and things of that nature that are limited: Russell Wilson, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Queen, those seven guys I don't have any intentions to utilizing in the game. I'm probably going to give that "first unit", and him [Justin Fields] included in that, a couple of series.
Both Wilson and Fields were added to the team during this offseason. The Steelers traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, signed Russell in free agency and also traded a sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears.
Russell Wilson's new start in Pittsburgh
One of the most toxic marriages in the NFL ended in less than two years. The Denver Broncos decided to take on a historic dead cap and release the quarterback once the league's new fiscal year started back in March, making him a free agent available to any team that wanted his services in 2024 - the Pittsburgh Steelers said yes.
It's not that surprising, despite the amount of money the Broncos took as dead cap. The team knows the trade was a huge mistake, and the amount of assets involved in the deal only makes the result even more unfavorable. They used a first-round draft pick on Bo Nix back in April.
Russell Wilson's best days in the NFL are behind him. It's a very sharp decline and, with his advanced age and reduced mobility compared to his first years in the league, it's very unlikely that he will play at a good level again during any remaining period of his career.