Insider addresses Steelers 'split' regarding Russell Wilson, Justin Fields situation

While Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin seemingly remains a big supporter of veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, some within the Steelers reportedly favor re-signing 25-year-old Justin Fields after he went 4-2 as a starter this past fall when Wilson was recovering from a lingering calf injury. 

For a piece updated on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated touched upon why the Steelers haven't yet signed either Wilson or Fields with the two set to become free agents when the new league year opens on March 12. 

"Pittsburgh would love to keep working with Justin Fields, who’s been a good fit in a lot of different ways," Breer explained. "I’m just not sure they’d hand him the starting job, and a contract to go with that, even if another team shows a willingness to do so. Russell Wilson, meanwhile, would give them some certainty, but there’s definitely split opinion on him in the building, and I’m not sure how bringing him back as a starter would go over."

Tomlin controversially went to Wilson in Week 7 and then stuck with the one-time Super Bowl champion through a losing streak that extended to five games via a 28-14 wild-card playoff defeat at the Baltimore Ravens. Wilson has since said on multiple occasions this offseason that his "goal is to be with the Pittsburgh Steelers a long time" and that he is "looking forward to hopefully going back to the Steelers." 

However, rumors surfaced this winter claiming that Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith "did not have a very good working relationship but fought through their differences as best they could" this past season. Tomlin isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and there's no sign ahead of Super Bowl LIX that he's going to replace Smith before springtime workouts begin. 

"The presence of aging vets like T.J. Watt (who will be 31 in October) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (29 in November) on the roster — a roster that has some growing pieces on the offensive line and at receiver — complicates matters, as Pittsburgh resembles a win-now type of outfit," Breer added.

Tomlin showed with his actions from Oct. 20 through the playoffs that he believed at the time Wilson gave him a better chance to win than Fields. Assuming Tomlin will once again be making "most of the decisions" regarding the club's roster, it seems likely Wilson and not Fields will return to the organization for at least one more season.