The Pittsburgh Steelers have received more national media attention this offseason than normal. This is in large part due to their unusual quarterback situation. They swept the room clean of all the quarterbacks they had in 2023 and brought Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, John Rhys Plumlee, and Kyle Allen on board.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin has clarified that Wilson will be given the "pole position" based on his experience and success in the league to start the year. Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to two Super Bowls, but Fields will still be allowed to compete.
Recently, on her show Up and Adams, Kay Adams mentioned her desire to travel to Latrobe, Pennsylvania to see the Steelers at training camp at St. Vincent College.
"This is the quarterback battle heading into training camp, maybe one of the better ones I can remember. Usually when we get a quarterback competition it's a rookie, it's a second-year guy against a journeyman type veteran. Having a Super Bowl winner, an ever-polarizing nine-time Pro Bowler competing with a talented, bulked up by the way, young, three-year starter. Was it the situation? Was it the OC revolving door? Was it the non-functioning Chicago situation that held Justin Fields back? There's no apples-to-apples comparison that we could find. I'm pretty sure this is a one-of-a-kind QB battle, and it'll be very fun to watch this play out."
Fields faced the adversity Adams mentioned during his time with the Chicago Bears. He came out of college as a first-round draft pick, and Bears fans had high hopes and expectations. It is easy to understand why they did; Fields is incredibly athletic. His periods of success in the Windy City often came via his legs.
On the other hand, Wilson is someone we have seen fall out of favor. He was the darling in Seattle, but when he married popstar Ciara, fans said he began to change. They commented that he was selfish. Both he, and the Denver Broncos, were hoping for a redemption tour when he signed with them, but he was unable to completely find his footing. He left, well paid, amid rumors of disagreements with Head Coach Sean Payton.
"Most reports out of Steelers' minicamp seemed to point to Russell [Wilson] taking control of the job, which makes sense. But whoever it ends up being, it should be a major upgrade to what they had going on last year, they did not throw a lot of touchdowns. But will it be enough to navigate the league's third-toughest schedule?"
Adams refers to Steelers' former quarterback, Kenny Pickett, who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett was unhappy that Pittsburgh chose to sign Wilson after the Broncos released him and asked to be let go.
This battle is so unique because both players are on one-year contracts, and the future for all involved feels quite uncertain. It is unclear how they plan to assess Fields' growth if he is not getting time under center. If Wilson performs well, he will likely want to be paid commensurately with other quarterbacks in the league. Others think the Steelers are biding their time, waiting for something better.
Steelers' John Rhys Plumlee Might Be A Surprise Addition
There is little doubt that the quarterback battle heavily favors Wilson. If anyone has a shot at unseating him, it is Fields. That leaves Plumlee and Allen to compete for the final spot. While Allen has more experience than Plumlee, Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that the undrafted rookie has special talent.
Plumlee gained attention during college for being an athletic quarterback. He was seen leaping over defenders and forcing them to give chase. That could help him stay in Pittsburgh. Carter said the Steelers like to have a fast quarterback on their practice squad. They use him to pretend to be Lamar Jackson or other very mobile quarterbacks.
