Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are a possible winning combination for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Athletes are subject to the same laws of human nature as everyone else, despite their massive wages that make change easier to swallow. Moving from one workplace to another and adjusting to life in a new city with a new boss and coworkers can elicit a range of emotions, particularly for quarterbacks, the most glamorous position in sports.
One day you’re cut and thrown away like bad leftovers, yet the next day you join a legendary franchise to rebuild your image. Russell Wilson’s story unfolded last week when he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was going to smile no matter where he landed—the Denver Broncos owe him approximately $39 million, and he still has Ciara—but now he’ll play under Mike Tomlin, whose 173 career wins rank second among active NFL coaches and 13th on the all-time list.
Or, one day, the team that drafted you trades you away, bringing an end to months of speculation about your immediate NFL future. That was the situation with Justin Fields, who spent three years in Chicago without demonstrating he was a franchise quarterback. The Bears wanted to test someone else, so they sent Fields to Pittsburgh on Saturday, where Wilson was just becoming comfortable as the expected starter.
“Let’s get it, Justin Fields!” Wilson tweeted following the transaction. “QB room bout to be fire.”
We wouldn’t expect anything less from Wilson, who has been accused of being overly cheesy and corporate. He didn’t choose the Steelers as their backup quarterback, but he expected competition. He honestly assumed it would come from Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh’s starter last season.
“I’m looking forward to just competing and being the best version of me every day,” Wilson told reporters last week before Pickett was traded to Philadelphia. “That’s the best part. That’s what you bring to the table.”
Beating out Pickett would be easier than beating out Fields, who has shown flashes of being a special player. Fields reportedly expressed disinterest in four teams that wanted to trade for him, opting to take his chances with Tomlin and Wilson. He could do far worse in picking a head coach and potential mentor.
Chicago never gave Fields much to rely on, subjecting him to two coaches, two offensive coordinators, and a few dozen poor teammates. But he was gracious. “Thank you to the entire Bears organisation and ownership for allowing me the opportunity to be part of such a historic franchise,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve meant to me over the last three years through the ups and downs.” I wish each of you nothing but success. Ready for the next chapter!”
One QB (Wilson) is a nine-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl ring, a borderline Hall-of-Famer looking to stem his downward trajectory since leaving Seattle. The other (Fields) is a first-round pick who’s only 25 years old and just joined Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton on a short NFL list: Players with at least 40 touchdown passes and 2,000 yards rushing in their first three seasons.
Whatever each man feels on the inside, he must filter through the voluminous outside opinions. All that noise would give me a headache if I let it.
There are too many conflicting reports and rumors to know who’s telling the truth. One account has Pittsburgh signing Wilson to a longer contract after his one-year deal ends this year. Another article says the Steelers aren’t really committed to Wilson and will cut him if Fields wins the starting job in training camp. All each player has is what the organization tells them, which counts until it doesn’t.
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