Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Saturday night he traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for less draft capital than another team was ready to give because he thought the Steelers offered Fields the best opportunity for career development and a chance to start in Pittsburgh eventually.
The Steelers have other plans.
Russell Wilson is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin assured Russell Wilson he would be the starter for Pittsburgh to start the 2024 season following reports that Fields would be traded. That point should have been apparent when the Steelers traded a measly sixth-round pick for Fields.
However, many NFL insiders and Bears fans thought Fields could eventually win the starting job in 2025 after he sat behind Wilson for a season. The truth is the Steelers believe Fields is more of a one-year loaner than a franchise quarterback they see as Wilson’s successor.
The Steelers want to extend Wilson
According to Gerry Dulac with KDKA, the Steelers “intend” to extend Wilson at the end of the 2024 season.
Russell Wilson signed a one-year contract with the Steelers for the vet minimum because the Broncos were paying him $39 million in 2024. But Wilson and the Steelers intend to do a longer deal at the end of the season, per sources.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) March 16, 2024
Justin Fields isn’t viewed as the eventual starter for Pittsburgh
The PR spin that the Bears bent over backward to trade Fields to the Steelers so he could be Pittsburgh’s eventual starter is literal fan fiction. The Steelers want Wilson to be their guy.
Things could change if Wilson struggles in Pittsburgh to start the season. Fields could eventually have the opportunity to lead the Steelers’ offense. But that isn’t what the Steelers want at this point in the offseason.
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