Russell Wilson’s relationship with Justin Fields predates their time shared with the Steelers, and, he says, will postdate it, too. Both quarterbacks are on new teams this season—even if they will play in the same stadium—but Wilson made it clear recently that he still has Fields’ back.
“Justin [Fields] is my guy. I’ve been able to connect with Justin since he was at Ohio State”, Wilson said on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony. “Always rooting for him. And his family I’ve gotten close to, too, a little bit. Obviously, sharing the same room, just to be a mentor for him and to be able to connect. … I’m always rooting for him. He’s gonna be a great player for sure. He’s a young stud”.
While with the Steelers, Russell Wilson talked about his prior history with Justin Fields. Before Pittsburgh even traded for Fields, Wilson said the two talked about playing together there. Fields was in a no-win situation, with the Bears set to draft a quarterback first overall. He had little say in his destination, but he told Chicago he preferred Pittsburgh over other options.
The plan was for Justin Fields to spend a year regrouping, learning behind Russell Wilson. A training camp injury, however, sidelined Wilson for the first six games of the regular season. Fields started those games, helping the team to a 4-2 record, and playing some of the best football of his career. It wasn’t enough, however, for HC Mike Tomlin to declare him the starter.
After six games, he installed Russell Wilson into the offense, sending Justin Fields to the bench. At no point did he or the Steelers ever designate Fields a starter—in fact, they went out of their way not to. And even late in the season, when Wilson was struggling, they resisted playing Fields.
Yet after the season ended, the Steelers wanted to re-sign Justin Fields, not Russell Wilson. Indeed, Wilson actively campaigned to remain in Pittsburgh, while Fields was typically silent. During this podcast with Anthony, he also bore no ill will to the former team that turned a cold shoulder to him.
“Pittsburgh was a good place for me”, he said, describing it as a place that helped him “rejuvenate”. On the same day, Fields, in contrast, had little emotion left over his time in Pittsburgh. Asked about playing the Steelers in Week 1, he offered no reaction beyond, “That’s who we play”.
With Fields on the Jets and Wilson on the Giants, the two teams sharing facilities, they should have plenty of opportunity to see one another, at least in theory, if they so chose. Fields signed a two-year, $0 million contract, a deal that included $30 million guaranteed. The Steelers were never going to come close to that, especially with $10 million guaranteed in Year 2.
Instead, of course, they are sitting here with Mason Rudolph, waiting for Aaron Rodgers. While they let the Jets outbid them for Justin Fields, they had every opportunity to re-sign Russell Wilson. Presumably after watching how the offense fell apart at the end of the season, they decided it was best for both parties to go their separate ways. He and Fields, too, went their separate ways after sharing a locker room for one season. But Wilson insists the bond they forged isn’t going anywhere.
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