With at least four other teams interested, quarterback Justin Fields made it clear that he wanted to be traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Chicago Bears did right by him. Many believe Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are just what Fields needs to get his career on track after having a lack of stability in Chicago. He had two head coaches and three different offensive coordinators in his three years with the Bears.
Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton recently touched on Fields’ situation, and he wonders if Pittsburgh is actually the best place for him.
“You went from a franchise quarterback to a package guy. Okay? If Russell Wilson is the starter for 18 weeks and they go to the playoffs, you see what I’m saying?” Newton said on his 4th & 1 podcast.
Newton implies that Fields could be on the bench for multiple seasons if Wilson takes off with the Steelers. It’s a valid point, and something that has to be considered, but many are of the belief that Fields will eventually overtake Wilson as the starter.
Former Steelers free safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark thinks general manager Omar Khan should be hoping for Fields to dethrone Wilson as the starting quarterback because that means the Steelers would have their QB of the future. Wilson is 35 and on the back end of his career, while Fields is 25 and entering his fourth season.
“I want Justin Fields to win because that gives me an opportunity to have a quarterback of the future. Not a bridge guy. Not a guy on the back end of his career, but a young talented quarterback that needs the right pieces around him, who showed signs of being very good late last year,” Clark said on Get Up Wednesday.
Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Tuesday, Nick Wright of FS1 also expressed that he’s not fond of Wilson. He thinks the 35-year-old quarterback is washed and that Fields will take over as the starter by Week 7 or Week 8.
“I know what Russell Wilson is right now. I think Russell Wilson is a quarterback who will be benched by the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Wright said. “… This is a great spot for Justin Fields, because Russell Wilson is not good anymore.”
During ESPN’s NFL Live on Tuesday, Adam Schefter took it a step further and revealed that an executive told him that Wilson could be released before Week 1 if things go haywire.
“Think about the investment they have in each player. They essentially are giving Russell Wilson $1.2 million, while the Denver Broncos are paying him almost $38 million this year. Very little investment,” Schefter said. “They gave up a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick for Justin Fields. Very little investment. They have the luxury of letting this play out during camp and doing whatever is best for that football team.
“There’s no commitment, obligation, loyalty to any of these guys. They didn’t pay much for either one of them. I even had one executive say if Justin Fields outplayed him, Russell Wilson, during training camp, they could see them moving on from him before the season.”
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