Russell Wilson Had Strong Message on Justin Fields’s Future As a Starting QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to roll with Russell Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback over Justin Fields has aged fairly well in the last month, with the Steelers coming off a big 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The victory marked Wilson’s fourth win in as many starts since recovering from the calf injury he suffered in training camp. Given his budding chemistry with Steelers’ receivers and his rejuvenating success in his first year in Pittsburgh so far, the veteran is expected to retain his starting position for the rest of the season—but that didn’t stop him from paying some noteworthy praise to Fields.

Though Fields spent most of Sunday’s game trying to keep warm on the sidelines, Wilson acknowledged the former Chicago Bears quarterback’s special talent in a postgame press conference.

“I think the big thing about our quarterback room is we work every day,” Wilson said. “We love this game. I believe that Justin Fields is a franchise quarterback. He’s done it. He’s a great player, he’s a great teammate, a hard worker. We just love doing this thing together.”

There’s no denying Fields, who went 4-2 as the starter in the Steelers’ first six games, possesses more dual-threat ability than Wilson, which particularly plays a factor in the redzone. During drives inside the opponent’s 10-yard line, Wilson has led the Steelers to four touchdowns and five field goals while Fields has led the offense to eight touchdowns compared to one field goal.

Fields may not be able to take the job away from Wilson this season, but many would argue he’s still deserving of a starting spot, and he could find a more needy home elsewhere in the future.