The Pittsburgh Steelers shocked the NFL world by upgrading their quarterback room with former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Read more: Steelers News: QB Battle Between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields Very Much Alive
Fields and Wilson are currently locked in a battle to see who might be the starter for the 2024 season, despite head coach Mike Tomlin stating that Wilson is in the “pole position.” This just means that Wilson has the inside track based on experience but that doesn’t mean he has won the starting job just yet.
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Oddly, a rumor began to float around that Fields was struggling in training camp, which was based on an article in The Athletic by Mark Kaboly. Kaboly broke down the “winners” and “losers” of the camp and placed Fields on the loser’s side of things. He did not indicate that Fields was struggling, only that he would likely not win the starting job over Wilson, which everyone presumed would happen anyway.
This rumor began to spread, leading to Steelers general manager Omar Khan speaking on Fields’ abilities and character.
Pat McAfee addressed the rumor on his show, stating that Kaboly “never indicated that Fields is disinterested of being a Steeler.” McAfee also indicated that Khan spoke to “S/A 93.7” The Fan about these rumors.
According to Khan, “Justin is exciting to have. If you would have told that we would be sitting here with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen five months ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. We really like Justin coming out of college. Obviously, he had an up-and-down situation in Chicago, but I’m excited. He’s really looked awesome. He is a great individual, too. I didn’t really know him personally before he got here, but what a special person he is.”
Khan laid it all out: Fields is a special person, and the team is excited to have him as a part of the Steelers organization.
A couple of weeks ago when Fields himself stated that he was attempting to win the starting job. Any rumors that he’s struggling and not buying into being a Steeler would suggest the complete opposite. Granted, it will be difficult for Fields to unseat the more experienced Wilson, but his drive is there.
There’s no guarantee Wilson will also remain healthy through the whole season, and the Steelers are in a very advantageous position considering they now have one of the top backup quarterbacks in the entire NFL. Fields may be called upon should Wilson struggle as well, so there is a reality in which he becomes the starter sooner rather than later.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.