Steelers insider shares if Russell Wilson, Justin Fields emerged as 'offseason winner'

Pittsburgh Steelers insider Mark Kaboly of The Athletic sounds confident that Russell Wilson ended the club's mandatory minicamp holding a significant lead over Justin Fields regarding what may not be much of a legitimate quarterback competition.

"Wilson did nothing through 12 practices to even slightly indicate he could lose the quarterback competition to Justin Fields," Kaboly said for a piece published Monday. "The work ethic, the experience, the arm talent and the fact he basically took all of the first-team snaps strongly suggest that nothing Wilson can do between July 24 and Sept. 8 would prevent him from starting."

Kaboly said during organized team activities in May that, barring injury, there was "no chance that Fields will be the starting quarterback over Wilson" for Pittsburgh's regular-season opener at the Atlanta Falcons on the second Sunday of September. 

However, longtime NFL insider Jason La Canfora revealed last week that he had not been "told" by people who would know that Wilson is already penciled in atop Pittsburgh's depth chart.

"You couldn’t have asked for much more out of Wilson during OTAs and minicamp, on the field and off it," Kaboly shared on Monday. "His leadership is more than noticeable, and that’s been true since the first day he showed up. What stood out was his arm talent, whether it was a throw in the flat, at the goal line or down the field."

Neither Wilson nor Fields is signed beyond the upcoming season. Wilson turns 36 years old in November, while Fields is only 25. 

All things being equal, the Pittsburgh front office theoretically should want Fields to win the job by the end of August and then establish himself as a long-term answer at the sport's most important position.

"Fields didn’t get many first-team reps, and that’s significant come training camp," Kaboly added about the signal-callers. "More than that, you can see what made him a first-round pick … and also what made the Chicago Bears move on. The arm strength, speed and playmaking with his legs are undeniable. However, he showed inconsistent accuracy and relied on his feet too quickly after the first read. That stuff can be fixed, but maybe not throughout a training camp."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Wilson fifth among the betting favorites at +1200 odds to win the Comeback Player of the Year Award for the 2024 season. 

That outlet had Fields as a +3500 underdog, which may say plenty about how some view Pittsburgh's quarterback situation in the early days of the NFL's summer break.