Report: Most Steelers Disagreed With Mike Tomlin Benching Justin Fields

As more time passes, it’s becoming clear that New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields had many supporters in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization.

In fact, new intel from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer indicates that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin may have been in the minority when it came to preferring Russell Wilson over Fields at starting quarterback last season.

After Fields began the season 4-2 as the starter, Tomlin demoted Fields to QB2 once Wilson’s calf injury healed, but it wasn’t an entirely popular decision within the Steelers organization, according to Breer, who shared this insight while appearing as a guest on a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.

“I think people (in Pittsburgh’s organization) would tell you that the Russell Wilson thing undermined so many things in the last month of the season, and that a lot of that building really wanted them to go back to Justin Fields,” Breer said.

“(Steelers head coach Mike) Tomlin was kind of all on his own on that one.”

Breer also indicated that the backlash Tomlin received for starting Wilson over Fields may have caused Tomlin to be hesitant about pushing to select Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft.

“Tomlin liked Shedeur going into the draft, but I don't think Tomlin wanted to press that button again at quarterback after what happened with Russell at the end of the year last year,” Breer said.

All of this is music to Jets fans’ ears, of course.

Tomlin’s decision on Fields could look even worse in 2025 if Fields has a breakout season with New York and Pittsburgh struggles at the position, either through failing to acquire Aaron Rodgers or watching him underperform in a black and gold uniform.