Steelers signed Russell Wilson to aid Kenny Pickett before being replaced by Justin Fields: report
Russell Wilson will be getting a fresh start with the Pittsburgh Steelers after signing a one-year deal for the veteran minimum ($1.2 million). He will compete for the starting quarterback role with Justin Fields, who the Steelers acquired while surrendering a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
While the Steelers have revamped their quarterback depth chart this offseason, having Wilson and Fields wasn’t their original plan. Instead, they acquired Wilson to help Kenny Pickett improve.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor wrote in her March 29 article entitled “How the Steelers transformed their quarterback room in 13 days”:
“The Steelers believed, one team source said, that adding Wilson ‘would have been a benefit to Kenny,’ and the pursuit of Wilson would ‘kick Kenny into gear’ and reignite the competitive fire that had made Pickett so attractive to Pittsburgh in the draft evaluation process.”
However, the transaction backfired because Russell Wilson would get first-team reps even if the Steelers told Pickett that the starting quarterback role would be an open competition.
Pryor detailed Pickett’s response:
“Pickett, per multiple sources, believed the Steelers were going back on their initial plan to give him the first-team reps, placing him at a disadvantage in any competition. Pickett expressed that he would rather play elsewhere and make a fresh start than compete from second place in Pittsburgh.”
That’s why reports about a disgruntled Pickett surfaced during the first day of the legal tampering period for free agents (March 11). Four days later, the Steelers introduced Wilson in a press conference before finalizing a trade that sent Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The trade left Russell Wilson as the only quarterback in Pittsburgh’s depth chart. Mitchell Trubisky signed with the Buffalo Bills for the 2024 season, while Mason Rudolph agreed to a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans.
But a day after Wilson’s press conference, the Steelers finalized a trade to acquire Fields. The AFC North franchise added Kyle Allen as the third quarterback on its depth chart.
Russell Wilson isn’t guaranteed to start for the Steelers
The former Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos quarterback brings impressive credentials as he plays his 13th NFL season with the Steelers. He is a one-time Super Bowl winner, a nine-time Pro Bowler, and a 2019 Second Team All-Pro member.
Despite those accolades, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin won’t easily hand the starting role to Russell Wilson. Pryor wrote:
“Wilson didn’t ask for assurances about a starting job, according to a source familiar with the conversations, and the Steelers didn't give any.”
Therefore, Tomlin will consider Wilson and Fields’ training camp performances before choosing a QB1.