All eyes are on former Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson as the NFL offseason inches toward training camp.
First, the Wisconsin legend has been one of the biggest topics in the sport since the Seattle Seahawks traded him to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2022 season. His high-profile struggles in Denver were impossible to ignore given his record contract with the team.
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But second, the one-time Super Bowl champion’s recent journey has landed him in one of the NFL’s most intriguing offseason position battles: him vs. Justin Fields for Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback.
Wilson has a significant leg up after the Steelers signed him early in the offseason. The franchise did trade a conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for Fields, but did so with the plan to have Fields develop while Wilson started under center.
But talent and production matters more than anything. If Wilson continues to struggle as he’s mostly done over the past three seasons, Fields’ raw talent could see him win the job.
Their battle was at the top of ProFootballFocus’ recent list of eight key NFL training camp battles.
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Training Camp Battles to Watch in the NFL this Summer⬇️https://t.co/CDvHYYyRuC
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 23, 2024
Here’s what Gordon McGuinness wrote about the former Badger and his job security:
The most high-profile quarterback battle of training camp will take place in the Steel City. The Steelers made two low-risk offseason additions in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, each of whom could lead the offense in 2024.
Wilson will turn 36 during the season and has looked a long way off the player who earned a 90.5 PFF overall grade in 2020.
Fields, the 11th-overall pick in 2021, couldn’t get his feet under him in Chicago, with the team opting to reset by selecting Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Still, Fields has improved in each of his NFL seasons and is coming off a career-high 74.6 PFF overall grade in 2023.
Ideally, Fields will stick as the Steelers’ quarterback of the present and future, but either of these options would be an upgrade over last season.
Wilson is currently the only former Wisconsin quarterback on an NFL roster entering the 2024 season, though could be soon joined by Tanner Mordecai who the San Francisco 49ers signed after the 2024 NFL draft as an undrafted free agent.
Pittsburgh feels like the final chance for the Wisconsin legend as it grows increasingly unlikely he will ever rediscover his Super Bowl-winning form.
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