Steelers commitment to Russell Wilson might be smoke and mirrors

Despite his shortcomings in the Mile High City, the predominant belief throughout the many twists and turns of the 2024 offseason with the Pittsburgh Steelers is that Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback come Week 1. That was true when Kenny Pickett was on the roster, true after they traded Pickett to the Eagles, and seemingly true once Justin Fields was brought in via trade.

According to one NFL insider, though, it might not be true at all.

While some around the Steelers believe it's Wilson's job until proven otherwise, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on NFL Live that it's far more fluid than that. With the limited investment in both players -- a veteran minimum deal for Wilson and a conditional sixth-round pick for Fields -- there will be a quarterback battle in training camp, as relayed by Noah Strackbein of All Steelers.

More importantly, Schefter also noted that one executive believes that a QB battle in Pittsburgh could lead to a shocking decision with Wilson: moving on from him immediately.

Steelers could move on from Russell Wilson depending on QB battle

"There’s no commitment, obligation, loyalty to any of these guys," Schefter said. "They didn’t pay very much for either one of them. I even had an executive say if Justin Fields outplayed him, Russell Wilson, during training camp, they could see them moving on from him before the season."

Given that much of Wilson's arrival has been painted with broad strokes that Mike Tomlin brought him in with expectations to start, this is somewhat shocking. On another hand, Schefter's reporting really holds far more logic than the Steelers operating with a Russ or Bust mentality.

Wilson's shortcomings with the Broncos were widely noted and, though Nathaniel Hackett took much of the blame in 2022, it became clear that the former Seahawks Super Bowl champion was simply not the same player in Denver that he was previously. Fields, on the other hand, was put into some bad situations and, while he made some aspects of that worse on himself as a young, raw player, the upside still appears far greater than with Wilson, at least long term.

Crucially, though, the Steelers might truly be a team that fits into the "quarterback away" criteria that is often overused. Their defense is among the NFL's best, the offensive line is being rebuilt quickly, and the skill position players, especially with more potential additions coming, should be ready to compete with the right signal-caller in the building.

As such, having a quarterback battle between Wilson and Fields would allow the Steelers to address the simplest of questions: Which player gives this team the best chance to contend and win in 2024? If that's Wilson, it'll be business as usual. If it's Fields, then Wilson could very well be released to pursue other opportunities -- perhaps filling in for an injury elsewhere in the league from training camp or the preseason.

But it does indeed appear that the Russell Wilson era has a very real chance of never truly getting started with the Steelers.