Steelers signed Russell Wilson to aid Kenny Pickett before being replaced by Justin Fields: report

Russell Wilson has signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the veteran minimum of $1.2 million, giving him a fresh start with the team. He will be in competition with Justin Fields, whom the Steelers acquired by trading a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, for the starting quarterback position.

Despite making changes to their quarterback depth chart this offseason, the Steelers did not initially plan to have Wilson and Fields on their team. They brought in Wilson with the intention of aiding Kenny Pickett’s development.

In her March 29 article titled “How the Steelers overhauled their quarterback room in just 13 days,”Brooke Pryor of ESPN reported:

“The Steelers believed, one team source said, that adding Wilson ‘would have been a benefit to Kenny,’ and the pursuit of Wilson would ‘kick Kenny into gear’ and reignite the competitive fire that had made Pickett so attractive to Pittsburgh in the draft evaluation process.”

Despite this, the transaction ultimately did not work in the Steelers’ favor, as Russell Wilson would still receive first-team reps regardless of the team’s assurance to Pickett that the starting quarterback position would be up for grabs.

Pryor provided a detailed account of Pickett’s response.

“Pickett, per multiple sources, believed the Steelers were going back on their initial plan to give him the first-team reps, placing him at a disadvantage in any competition. Pickett expressed that he would rather play elsewhere and make a fresh start than compete from second place in Pittsburgh.”

As a result, reports about a displeased Pickett emerged on the initial day of the legal tampering period for free agents (March 11). Only four days later, the Steelers held a press conference to introduce Wilson before completing a deal to trade Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Following the trade, Russell Wilson remained the sole quarterback on Pittsburgh’s depth chart. Mitchell Trubisky joined the Buffalo Bills for the 2024 season, and Mason Rudolph signed a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans.

Just one day after Wilson’s press conference, the Steelers solidified a deal to bring in Fields. The AFC North team also signed Kyle Allen as their third quarterback on the depth chart.

Uncertainty Surrounding Russell Wilson’s Future with the Steelers

The Steelers have acquired a highly qualified quarterback for their 13th NFL season in the form of the former Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos player. He boasts an impressive resume, having won a Super Bowl, been selected to the Pro Bowl nine times, and named a Second Team All-Pro member in 2019.

Despite receiving praise, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin remains hesitant to immediately give Russell Wilson the starting role. As stated by Pryor:

“Wilson didn’t ask for assurances about a starting job, according to a source familiar with the conversations, and the Steelers didn’t give any.”

Hence, Tomlin will take into account Wilson and Fields’ training camp performances before making a decision on who will be the QB1.