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Steelers Predicted to Bench Russell Wilson
PITTSBURGH -- How the Pittsburgh Steelers start their 2024 season at the quarterback position won't be the same as how they end it, if one NFL analyst is nails one of her 10 bold predictions for the coming season.
Jody Battista of NFL.com wrote this week that the Steelers, who are in line to start blockbuster free agent addition Russell Wilson to open this season, will end up starting his backup, Justin Fields down the stretch of the regular season.
"That minimal investment by Pittsburgh [in Wilson] means there will be little to keep it from turning to Fields if Wilson struggles," Battista wrote. "Arthur Smith is an experienced and successful offensive coordinator, but any struggle by Wilson -- and playing against the defenses in the AFC North gives quarterbacks plenty of chances to struggle -- will open the door to Fields, whom the Steelers would almost certainly like to see play before having to decide on his future. I'm calling it: Wilson wins the starting job out of camp, but he won't hold on to it, and Fields will have Terrible Towels waving for him."
The Steelers are set to pay less than $3 million to their top two quarterbacks this season, with the Broncos eating $39 million of Wilson's salary after running him out of Denver. Neither player is under contract for the 2025 season, making this a critical campaign in either's career.
Wilson has "pole position" to start, according to head coach Mike Tomlin but Fields will be given the proper reps to push Wilson. The Steelers will try to get a good look at either player before delcaring anyone their starter for 2024 and beyond.
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STEPHEN THOMPSON
Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.