Russell Wilson soaked in the applause from the fans on hand Thursday for the first session of Steelers training camp. Then he took his place as QB1 with the offense.
After all, it’s Wilson’s spot to lose. And he did nothing to scramble the Steelers depth chart during the minicamp and the final phase of OTAs.
“Nothing has changed,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin told reporters when the Steelers reported to camp on Wednesday.
About the only immediate need is to figure out how to divide the reps between the four quarterbacks on the roster, but mainly between Wilson and Justin Fields. They’re the two vying for the starting job, although it’s Wilson’s to lose.
Reporters asked about how Tomlin and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith would assign the reps.
“Very carefully,” Tomlin said. “You think I’m actually going to back myself into a corner so you guys are gonna ask me daily about the rep allocations? No way. I’ve been on the job too long for that.”
Here’s Wilson heading to the fields at Saint Vincent’s College in Latrobe, Pa.
Fields is also trying for the starting job. The Steelers acquired the quarterback from the Bears, where he started the past three seasons. Wilson may be the immediate future for the team, but maybe Fields, the former Ohio State star, is the guy moving forward past this season or the next. After all, there’s a decade gap in age between the two quarterbacks. Both started as rookies.
You can check out Fields from the start of today’s drills.
Tomlin complimented Wilson on his work ethic.
“There’s a lot of interesting things about him in terms of his appetite for work that’s really attractive,” Tomlin told the media.
Wilson is looking for an appreciative home. He had that with the Seahawks, but requested a trade in 2022. He received a huge paycheck to head to the Broncos, but never settled in with Denver. The team changed head coaches. And by mid-season, coach Sean Payton reportedly had made it clear he no longer wanted Wilson on the team. The Broncos benched the quarterback for the final two games of the season, then released him in March. However, Denver still owes Wilson about $38 million for this season.
The Steelers, a team looking for a different offensive direction, quickly signed the 35-year-old Wilson after his release. They did more tinkering with the quarterbacks. The Steelers sent Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. They also didn’t re-sign Mason Rudolph or Mitch Trubisky. Instead, they brought in NFL journeyman Kyle Allen and John Rhys Plumlee, an undrafted rookie free agent.
Wilson said he’s approaching Steelers camp much the same way he did his first one in Seattle.
“Internally, your expectations for yourself have to be higher than everyone else’s,” Wilson told reporters. “I remember when I was a rookie, I was a third-round pick, the 75th pick overall. I was the third-string quarterback on the roster. (And) I was determined I was going to take that job. That’s got to be the mentality every day. That’s the mentality every day. Try to be your best. God has given me a ton of talent. Anyone that’s here staying in those dorms has a ton of talent. How do we make the most of that? You do it with great confidence and composure and an edge when you play.”
