The Pittsburgh Steelers brass headed into this NFL offseason determined to make some drastic changes, with longtime owner Art Rooney II not happy with the team flaming out every year in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
Even though the team has been able to make the postseason in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era, Pittsburgh hasn’t been the same dominant force of old in the AFC, with the bulk of the problems coming on the offensive side of the football.
The offense was a mess last season, so the Steelers made a point of addressing the quarterback position during the offseason, and they did so with a flurry of moves in a short amount of time.
First, the Steelers signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to a one-year deal, a move that had been rumored for some time.
Secondly, the team made two trades that no one saw coming, as Pittsburgh sent Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles and brought in Justin Fields in a deal with the Chicago Bears.
With Fields in the fold, some have wondered whether Wilson is on a short leash in Pittsburgh, which head coach Mike Tomlin recently addressed, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
Among other things, Mike Tomlin said Russell Wilson will have the “pole position” in the quarterbacks room and when it’s appropriate for Justin Fields to compete, he’ll compete.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 24, 2024
Although Tomlin says Wilson has the “pole position” in the quarterbacks room, he didn’t go as far as to say the veteran has the starting job moving forward, as it sounds more like an open competition in Pittsburgh.
This will make things interesting heading into training camp, with Fields and Wilson set to battle it out for the top spot under center for the Steelers.
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Mike Tomlin Breaks Silence On Kenny Pickett Trade