NFL insider says Mike Tomlin went against the wishes of the majority of the Steelers locker room with his QB decision last season
It's very rare that you see complete quarterback turnover in the NFL. But that's exactly what happened with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2024 season, as Kyle Allen, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson made way for Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Skylar Thompson. Part of the blame was because, even when the Steelers started speaking […]
It's very rare that you see complete quarterback turnover in the NFL.
But that's exactly what happened with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2024 season, as Kyle Allen, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson made way for Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Skylar Thompson.
Part of the blame was because, even when the Steelers started speaking highly of Justin Fields in the offseason, the damage was already done following Mike Tomlin's decision down the stretch of 2024…
Steelers were uspet that Mike Tomlin didn't turn back to Justin Fields
“I think people (in Pittsburgh’s organization) would tell you that the Russell Wilson thing undermined so many things in the last month of the season, and that a lot of that building really wanted them to go back to Justin Fields,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated told Bill Simmons of The Ringer. “(Steelers head coach Mike) Tomlin was kind of all on his own on that one."
The commentary from Breer aligns with much of what was said, heard, and reported between the time the Steelers traded Kenny Pickett and the end of March this year when both Fields and Wilson left for New York.
For one, it became quite clear that the Russell Wilson who led the team to averaging over 30 points per game as winners in six out of his first seven starts regressed badly down the stretch.
It also makes sense that Coach Tomlin was hesitant to replace Wilson, since he was the mastermind behind his coming to Pittsburgh in the first place. As we reported 15 months ago at this point, it was Coach Tomlin who told Kenny Pickett that Russell Wilson was coming in to be the starter.
If not for two calf injuries that forced him to miss the first six weeks of the season, the call for the return of Justin Fields likely never happens, because he never starts in the first place.
And in fairness to Coach Tomlin, when everyone (myself included) was blasting him for replacing Fields with Wilson, it looked like the right move for seven weeks. But then it became clear that Fields was the better option yet again, and when Pittsburgh did their best to try and keep him, the trust was already gone, and so was Fields.
Can't say I blame him.
