Steelers still learning about Russell Wilson and Justin Fields — and how they'll make a looming important decision

LATROBE, Pa. — Russell Wilson stepped up to the line of scrimmage Wednesday for one of his right-now rare snaps with the Steelers’ first-team offense.

Wilson handed off to running back Jaylen Warren, then slipped away from the play.

Fellow quarterback Justin Fields re-entered the huddle before the next play, reclaiming what so far in camp has been his role: taking the bulk of first-team snaps.

Fields clutched the snap, scrambled to his right and found receiver George Pickens downfield.

The rotation has proceeded similarly through the first week of Steelers training camp.

This isn’t a true quarterback battle. Pittsburgh's brass has stated repeatedly and consistently that Wilson, entering his 13th year as an NFL starter, is in “pole position” to open the season as starting quarterback.

Fields’ first-team opportunities instead arose after Wilson tweaked his calf on sled work during a start-of-camp conditioning test. Head coach Mike Tomlin has since instituted a gradual return to work to protect Wilson, clearing the way for Fields to receive more first-team snaps than had been expected.

As Wilson’s work emphasizes individual drills and the occasional team-drill handoff, the Steelers continue to learn more about the quarterback they acquired from the Chicago Bears.

“Russ is way more known commodity because of the years he's had in the league, and he's had a lot of change in the last four years and his journey,” offensive coordinator Arthur Smith told Yahoo Sports. “Justin is at such a different part of his career, but they both had big moments in this league. … You've got a competition going on, you get two guys fighting it out, but you're also building the big picture.

“So that's why you got to evaluate.”

Justin Fields building trust with Steelers' coaches

During the Steelers’ first padded practice Tuesday, Fields looked smooth. He completed passes downfield and in a red-zone series. He took off on designed runs at some points and found Pickens on a one-handed touchdown toeing the sideline on another.

His results passed the eye test.

But Fields seeks to do more than pass the eye test.

The quarterback who rushed 356 times for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns in three Chicago seasons wants not only to threaten with his legs but also to continue to hone his arm. He knew his results were solid on Tuesday, completing his passes in team and seven-on-seven work. But he wasn’t content.

“I didn’t feel like my mechanics were fully on point,” Fields said afterward. “It's not really something I can put my finger on. It's just a feel. It's kind of like a golfer and a swing … where your swing’s a little bit off.

“I was glad I was able to get all of my completions.”

Conversations ensued about technique, footwork and what happened on each read. Smith, learning his new personnel as they learn the Steelers’ new coordinator, was grateful. Sure, it was good for his pass-catchers to receive an accurate and timely ball just as it was good for the defense to work on stopping teammates by air and ground alike. But Smith also celebrated Fields’ response to his work — and the communication.

“If you have trust in the relationships, you get honest feedback,” Smith said. “That's what I respect about Justin: He's very honest. To accelerate that relationship, trust is paramount to me as we keep moving forward.”

Trust will help the Steelers cement their beliefs about the quarterbacks they signed and acquired this offseason.

They knew that Wilson’s 13-year resumé features a 61.4% win clip in starts, nine wins in 16 playoff games and a Super Bowl title. He has thrown for a whopping 43,653 yards and 334 touchdowns in his career, completing 64.7% of his passes.

Fields, entering the league nine years after Wilson, has won 26.3% of hois starts as he completed 60.3% of throws for 6,674 yards and 40 touchdowns. His 166.9 passing yards per game trails Wilson’s mark of 232.2, while his 55.5 rushing yards per game outpaces Wilson by nearly twice as much.

Neither of their statistics tell a full story.

“So you got to get to know the person,” Smith said. “You're just trying to get to know each other.”

What will Steelers factor in as they decide their QB plan?

Wilson's recent years showed a dip in production and wins from his decorated Seahawks tenure. Fields arrives from a Chicago franchise that has set up this year's first overall pick, Caleb Williams, with what seems to be a far more talented surrounding cast than Fields was afforded. Putting each with a new Steelers cast creates a different set of circumstances.

So while Wilson has far more “evidence,” as the Steelers view it, of elevating an NFL team, the quarterbacks’ styles also just don’t resemble one another exactly. Viewing them as different options may be more useful than viewing one as a clear better or worse option. That’s how defenses will game-plan differently for them.

“They both move well, they both do different things, but Justin is unique in the sense of when he breaks, it's like a track meet,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told Yahoo Sports. “So you would have to do some things differently with Justin in terms of how you keep the pocket condensed, how you keep all that stuff in there. [It’s] similar with Russ, but Russ is probably gonna look more to escape the throw where Justin — when he escapes, he could take it 40 yards. So you have to have different plans for those guys.

“One may be a little bit more pressure, crush it. The other guy might be like, hey, let’s zone back and wait for him to come to us. It's really good for our guys because it allows us to prepare for two different kind of quarterbacks during the season.”

Which quarterback will Steelers opponents see this season? The job, by all stated accounts, is Wilson’s to lose.

But as the Steelers drafted two offensive linemen and a receiver in the first three rounds this past spring, they also intentionally sent a message that they're looking to support their quarterback this year, rather than wait to determine if either (or neither) of their acquisitions is there in 2025 and plan accordingly then.

Wilson and Fields are each on a one-year contract in Pittsburgh, so a decision will need to be made next spring. But don’t expect the Steelers to take 2024 as a rebuilding year or even a learning year. Determining a long-term plan at quarterback will not dictate whether Wilson or Fields starts this year, general manager Omar Khan said.

“We're all about trying to win now,” Khan told Yahoo Sports. “We understand that there's a future and we're always thinking about what impact every decision we make has on the future.

“But we're about winning this year.”