Mike Tomlin Reveals ‘Pecking Order’ in Steelers Quarterback Room

Getty Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is in position to be the team’s starter in 2024, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin talked at length with reporters about the team’s quarterback situation as league meetings began on Sunday, March 24 in Orlando, Florida.

Wilson will start the 2024 season at the top of the depth chart, while Justin Fields, who the Steelers acquired on March 16 from the Chicago Bears, will be his backup.

“We’ve been very transparent about the pecking order, at least to start,” Tomlin told reporters, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “I just think that provides clarity for all parties involved. Russell is a veteran, man. He’s got a proven process of readiness. He’s been in this league a long time. He’s capable of rallying troops, receivers, tight ends, running backs, et cetera.

“He’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 designating Wilson as the starter gives the team a clear path as it prepares for the 2024 season.

“It provides clarity for all parties involved as they do some of the informal things that competitors do this time of year, whether it’s coming together to work out at destinations and things of that nature. Rest assured, when it’s time to compete, they’ll be given an opportunity to compete, and it will allow those guys to sort themselves out.”

The Steelers will have complete turnover in its quarterback room for the 2024 season after trading Kenny Pickett, releasing Mitch Trubisky and losing Mason Rudolph in free agency.

Mike Tomlin Compliments Russell Wilson’s Drive, Preparedness

Wilson appeared to impress in early conversations with the Steelers.

Tomlin told reporters one of the more attractive things about Wilson was his knowledge of the team.

“Prior to those conversations happening, he knew a lot about us, where we are, where we’ve got a desire to go, personnel, etc,” Tomlin said, via team contributor Dale Lolley. “I think probably the most attention-grabbing component was how thorough he had been in the research process regarding us.”

Wilson appeared in two Super Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks, winning one in 2014. He was also selected to nine Pro Bowls.

In the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos, Wilson threw for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

Still, the Broncos went 11-19 in games Wilson started. He was sacked 100 times in those two seasons.

On March 4, the Broncos announced they planned to release him. The team will eat the vast majority of Wilson’s $39 million salary as a result of the move.

It made for a cheap opportunity for the Steelers. The team signed Wilson to a one-year contract for the league minimum $1.21 million, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

Tomlin believes Wilson is far from finished at 35 years old, which also stuck out in their conversations.

“This guy’s got a vision of what he wants his career to look like. And he’s got a lot of work to do. Obviously, he’s had some professional challenges, particularly in recent years, and he appears to be a guy that wants to meet those challenges head-on and continue to move forward with his career, and that was attractive.”

Justin Fields Will Still get a Chance to Compete

Though Wilson is set to be the Steelers starting quarterback in 2024, Tomlin didn’t close the door on Fields getting the opportunity to compete for the job.

“He oozes talent and potential,” Tomlin said, via the Tribune Review’s Joe Rutter. “He’s worn the responsibility of being a franchise quarterback. Still, he gets an opportunity to come into a community-like situation and gets to learn from a guy who has been doing it for over a decade. Man, there is a lot of meat left on that bone. I’m just excited about working to be a part of extracting it.”

Fields was a surprise acquisition following the trade that sent Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tomlin said Fields and Wilson were two of the team’s top targets when evaluating potentially available quarterbacks.

“The goal was to get one guy initially, but through conversation and work, and I can’t give Omar enough credit, we were able to acquire both guys,” Tomlin said. “With Kenny, from his perspective, he felt like a change of scenery would be a good thing. Obviously, when we felt the trajectory of the business with Chicago moving in the right direction, those dominoes started falling.”

Fields, the 11th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2021, failed to gain momentum as the team’s franchise quarterback.

In three seasons with the Bears, Fields went 10-28 as a starter. He threw for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns.