NFL fans are destroying Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Russell Wilson over his comments on teammate and fellow quarterback Justin Fields, who also came over to Steel City this offseason.
Following his release from the Denver Broncos, Russell Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Steelers worth the veteran’s minimum. Soon after, the Steelers acquired Justin Fields via trade with the Chicago Bears, who went on to use the No. 1 pick on USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
In a recent interview with Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Wilson made headlines when he suggested that Fields could flourish in a non-quarterback role, adding that the Ohio State product “would strike fear in” opposing defenses:
“Justin is obviously one of the most talented guys in the NFL. You know all the things he can do. The player, the quarterback that he is. He’s dynamic. It’s all about us winning. That’s the focus. I think it would strike fear in some defenses, that’s for sure.
Justin is a franchise quarterback. He’s a guy that can do a lot of amazing things. So, we have two dynamic guys that can do a lot of special things.”
But let’s just say that fans on social media weren’t buying Wilson’s suggestion for one interesting reason…
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Russell Wilson was released by the Denver Broncos this offseason despite a solid bounce-back campaign with head coach Sean Payton. In releasing the nine-time Pro Bowler, the Broncos took on a record $85 million dead money charge for the next two years.
Fields showed improvement in year three with the Bears last season, but they couldn’t pass on the opportunity to draft Williams after securing the No. 1 selection via trade with the Carolina Panthers.
Last season, Fields completed 61.4 percent of pass attempts and threw for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions to go along with 657 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
Russell Wilson Is The Starter…For Now
Soon after the Steelers completed the trade for Fields, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Wilson is the starting quarterback.
Wilson completed 66.4 percent of pass attempts last season for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns against only eight interceptions. And that was with a head coach who obviously wasn’t sold on Wilson as his QB.
The 35-year-old Wilson will open 2024 as the starter. But of course, Tomlin won’t hesitate to go to Fields if the future Hall of Famer struggles out of the gate.
