Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Reveals Why Seahawks Ex Russell Wilson is 'The Guy'

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Reveals Why Seahawks Ex Russell Wilson is 'The Guy'

Seattle Seahawks vs Pittsburgh Steelers / Justin K. Aller/GettyImages

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has dominated headlines this offseason after signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. He wasn't guaranteed a roster spot upon arrival, but after the Steelers traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles and acquired Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears, Wilson's path toward being QB1 became clearer.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin essentially confirmed this to ESPN on Sunday, saying that Wilson has "what it takes."

Denver Broncos vs. Chicago Bears / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

"[Wilson's] just got a lot of experience in terms of what it takes to be the guy over the course of a 12-month calendar and I just think that that's something that a younger guy like Justin could learn from," Tomlin said, per ESPN.

Though the trade for Fields was one of the "sexier" moves of the offseason due to the buzz that lead up to the deal, this isn't Madden. Pittsburgh will be looking to make it back to the playoffs under Tomlin once again, and having a Hall of Fame veteran like Wilson at the helm with Fields learning behind him is a much better recipe than the other way around. Fields showed off some game-breaking flashes during his time in Chicago, but winning consistently was hard to come by.

Wilson has had his struggles over the past two seasons and could certainly fumble the keys over to Fields if things get rough. But for now, the Seahawks legend is the best bet in Tomlin's eyes, though it's possible we see Pittsburgh's new offense under Arthur Smith utilize Fields' dual-threat ability at some point as well.