The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans spent most of the 2024 calendar year deciding if Russell Wilson or Justin Fields was their best option at quarterback, as the lack of assets and money given up for them made it easier to be flexible with them. Both players had their highs and lows during the season, with the veteran quarterback having the highest and lowest moments overall. There were some questions about why Head Coach Mike Tomlin made some of his decisions with that position group, but an insider may have just answered that.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin and Russell Wilson on the sideline during a game against the New York Jets in 2024.
While making an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, insider Tom Pelissero broke down the George Pickens trade and why it happened. In the process, he brought up the receiver's desires for a quarterback.
"There were times when [George Pickens] had clashes with various quarterbacks," said Pelissero. "He was certainly someone who wanted Russell Wilson to be playing, not Justin Fields last year."
Fields started the first six games of the year while Wilson was recovering from a calf injury. While he wasn't the best deep-ball passer, he still had plenty of upside. His legs made the offense more dynamic, and he managed to limit his turnovers. However, all that running gave Pickens fewer chances, and that could have been what drove him to wear eye black that said "Open F*cking Always" during their Week 5 Sunday night contest, right after having seven receptions for 113 yards in the previous game.
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Steelers' George Pickens looks on during the Cowboys game.
After Week 6, the Steelers benched Fields for Wilson, despite having a 4-2 record. The very first game after the quarterback swap was a big one. The Steelers blew out the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football 37-15. Pickens himself had five receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown, as the veteran Wilson was chucking up moon ball after moon ball all game long, and he thrived.
Eventually, the good times came to an end. The Steelers ended the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak, including an embarrassing playoff loss in the first round again. Pickens missed two of those five losses, but his return could not get the offense back on track. Despite that, Wilson was the starter throughout the entire season, as Fields was rarely used during those final games.
Many fans were wondering why Wilson was able to keep the starting role when he had a horrible stretch to end the year, but Fields was benched the moment Tomlin got the chance to make it happen. Who knows exactly how much say Pickens had in this decision, but it definitely seems like he had a part in the quarterback debacle, and that may have influenced the offseason too.
Steelers Gave Fields Every Reason To Leave
Between Pickens reportedly wanting Fields benched, Tomlin not giving him a proper chance to prove himself, and the front office lowballing him afterwards, it makes total sense as to why Fields wanted nothing to do with Pittsburgh this offseason. He jumped ship immediately and went to the Jets to be their starter, while taking a couple of shots at the Steelers and their fans in the process.
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Former Steelers QB Justin Fields.
Fields was traded to Pittsburgh in the first place because that's where he wanted to be. He loved the idea of working under Tomlin. Instead, he was seemingly misled by the longest-tenured head coach in American sports, and he had a grumpy top receiver who wanted nothing to do with him -- supposedly. It's no wonder why he picked a terrible organization like the Jets over the Steelers: New York is actually giving him a proper chance to succeed at the quarterback position for 2025.
Thanks to all that, the Steelers are stuck in quarterback purgatory for another year. They are waiting on Aaron Rodgers to hurry up and make his mind up on if he wants to wear black and gold, or end his career in 2025. On top of all that, Pickens is gone. Instead of choosing between Pickens and Fields, their poor decision-making forced them to let both go.
What do you think about Pickens having an influence on the Steelers' quarterback situation? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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