Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden raised some eyebrows when he suggested last week the Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn’t have signed quarterback Russell Wilson to a team-friendly contract in March had they known they’d be able to acquire Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears for a conditional 2025 sixth-round draft pick later that month.
Interestingly, ESPN personality Mike Greenberg shared a similar opinion during Thursday’s edition of the “Get Up” program.
“I believe that if you gave the Steelers truth serum, they’ll never admit this nor should they,” Greenberg explained, as shared by Jeremy Pike of Steelers Depot. “But if they had known at the time that they were going to be able to get Justin Fields for the price that they got him for, I don’t think they would have signed Russell in the first place.”
Some analysts said this past winter that the Bears were hoping to land either a second- or third-round draft selection in return for Fields even though just about everybody knew at that time Chicago planned to make USC Trojans star signal-caller Caleb Williams the first pick of the 2024 draft.
In the end, there proved to be little trade market for Fields before Pittsburgh took a flier on the 25-year-old.
“I think that was at a moment in time when the asking price on Justin Fields was this and the Steelers decided, ‘We’re not meeting that price,'” Greenberg said about Pittsburgh signing Wilson shortly after he became available. “If they had known that it would eventually get to be this, I think they would have [traded for Fields] and they would have given him every chance to be their starter.”
It’s worth noting that Pittsburgh isn’t committed to either quarterback beyond the upcoming campaign and, thus, could still give Fields “every chance” to win the starting job from training camp through the preseason.
Instead, it’s become clear that Wilson will enter next month atop the depth chart and as the “undisputed leader” of the Steelers offense.
For whatever reasons, some remain convinced individuals within the Steelers have buyer’s remorse regarding Wilson’s inexpensive contract. What’s done is done, and all signs point to Wilson starting over Fields when Pittsburgh opens the regular season at the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 8.
