The Pittsburgh Steelers are plotting a quarterback change ahead of their Sunday night showdown against the New York Jets this weekend.
The Steelers are 4-2 with Justin Fields behind center but Mike Tomlin is set to ruffle some feathers in Pittsburgh as he eyes a big change-up ahead of their Week 7 clash.
Tomlin will reportedly give Russell Wilson a shot against the 2-4 Jets as the veteran nears his comeback from injury, according to Tom Pelissero.
The Steelers intend to give the veteran first-team reps in practice this week, lining up a potential season debut and start this weekend, the report added.
Wilson, 35, is yet to line up in a competitive game for the Steelers seven months after signing a one-year contract in Pittsburgh for the veteran’s minimum of $1.2million.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is eyeing a major change ahead of Sunday’s game
The franchise is reportedly planning to start Russell Wilson (R) in place of Justin Fields (L)
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback has been recovering from a calf injury sustained ahead of their Week 1 fixture at the Atlanta Falcons.
Tomlin had always maintained that Wilson was in ‘pole position’ for the starting job throughout preseason and the signal caller was officially handed the role in August before injury derailed his start to the season.
The veteran Super Bowl winner beat out fellow first-year Steeler Fields for the job after an abridged preseason during which he completed 10 of 12 passes for 73 yards over 25 preseason snaps.
However, since stepping into the Steelers starting spot in the place of the injured Wilson during the regular season, Fields has impressed leading Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record.
The 25-year-old has thrown for 1,106 yards and five touchdowns while throwing just one interception. He’s also rushed for 231 yards and five touchdowns.
Wilson arrived in Denver in a 2022 trade from Seattle, where he previously won a Super Bowl, and promptly signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the Broncos.
Unfortunately for Wilson and Broncos fans, the Pro Bowl quarterback struggled in Denver, going 11-19 in two seasons, while quarrelling with Payton.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields, right, and Russell Wilson (3) warm up
In fact, Wilson was briefly benched by Payton in Denver and later accused the head coach of pressuring him to adjust his $37 million injury guarantee for the 2024 campaign.
Russell declined to change anything in the contract and remained the starter until he was benched following a loss to the Patriots on Christmas Eve in what the Broncos insist was a football move, not a financial one. The Broncos didn’t respond publicly to Wilson’s comments about being threatened with his starting job.
A former Ohio State star, Fields was acquired for a conditional sixth-round pick from Chicago just three seasons after he was drafted 11th overall by the Bears.
He has struggled over 38 NFL stars, going 10-28 while taking a whipping 135 sacks. In fact, Wilson and Fields tied in 2022 with a league-worst 55 sacks and they weren’t much better in 2023 as the former was sacked 45 times to the latter’s 44.
