Arguably the most exciting quarterback competition is taking place in Pittsburgh, as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are battling to be named QB1 for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After making the playoffs in the 2023 season, the Steelers completely revamped their quarterback room, trading former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, releasing Mitch Trubisky and letting Mason Rudolph (who started at the end of the season and in the playoffs) walk in free agency.
To replace them, the Steelers signed Wilson after he was cut by the Denver Broncos, and they traded a late draft pick for Fields.
Wilson, a former Super Bowl champion, appears to be first in line to win the job -- especially in the betting market.
Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have set Wilson at -620 (an implied probability of 86.1 percent) to be the team's starting quarterback in Week 1. Fields is set at +400 in the same market.
Justin Fields is +400 @FDSportsbook to be the Steelers starting QB in Week 1, representing a 20% implied probability. Russell Wilson is -620, an 86.1% implied probability.
— SI Betting (@SI_Betting) July 29, 2024
Both Fields and Wilson have their drawbacks, although Fields is much younger.
Wilson struggled during his time in Denver, and he ended up getting benched at the end of the 2023 season with Denver ready to move on from him in the offseason. Still, his numbers in 2023 don't look horrible -- despite the fact that the Broncos missed the postseason.
The former third-round pick threw for 3,070 yards, 26 scores and eight interceptions while completing 66.4 percent of his passes. However, Wilson also ranked just 20th in EPA/Play amongst NFL quarterbacks last season.
So far in Steelers camp, Wilson has made some big plays, going 6-for-6 in Tuesday's 7-on-7 session. He split reps with Fields, who also spent time with the first team last week when Wilson was dealing with a calf ailment.
Russell Wilson went 6/6 in 7-on-7, including a 25ish yarder to Connor Heyward that drew cheers from the crowd. Wilson took first four reps, followed by four for Fields. Wilson then took last two reps. Each QB completed all their attempts. Fields had a nice deep ball over the…
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) July 30, 2024
According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Fields had his best day of camp on Tuesday, orchestrating four scoring drives with the first-team unit.
No Russell Wilson in 7 shots and Justin Fields looks the best he has all camp in the period, capping it off with a designed run to score. Offense wins 4-3. Faked the handoff to Warren, then ran in on the right.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) July 30, 2024
Fields’ first-team units scored on 4 of 5 attempts. Keep an eye out…
Last season, Fields missed some time with injury, but he threw for 16 scores and nine interceptions in 13 games. One of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL, Fields is more dynamic than Wilson at this stage in his career, but he isn't as polished of a passer as the veteran.
This is the final season of Fields' contract after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option on his rookie contract. That could prove to be a costly decision if Fields ends up winning the drive and thriving, as he'd need a new deal in the offseason.
It's hard to read too much into individual camp showings, but if one of Wilson or Fields slips in practice -- or in the preseason -- it could adjust the odds as FanDuel in a big way.
For now, Steelers fans should expect Wilson to be under center in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Russell Wilson Heavily Favored Over Justin Fields to Be Named Steelers Starting Quarterback.
