NFL source shuts down idea Justin Fields could be Steelers starter with single text message

Now that Justin Fields reportedly has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, questions are bound to arise about whether he or Russell Wilson will be the team’s starting quarterback.

According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, a source said via text that Wilson is going to be the team’s starting quarterback.

The Chicago Bears reportedly are trading their now-former starter to the Steelers in exchange for a pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It is a sixth-round choice that will become a fourth-round selection if Fields plays in at least 51 percent of the snaps this season.

If the source is accurate about Pittsburgh’s quarterback depth chart, that might be a difficult snaps percentage for Fields to reach if he remains the backup to Wilson in the 2024 campaign. The veteran signed a one-year contract with the Steelers this week after being let go by the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason.

Earlier this month, one NFL coach speculated that the Bears might have been able to acquire a first-round pick in a trade for Fields. What they did manage to get is obviously not close to that.

But trading Fields clears the way for the Bears to grab a new franchise quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in April. It is believed that it will be Caleb Williams of the University of Southern California.

Fields, who himself was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by Chicago out of Ohio State University, expressed gratitude to the Bears organization on social media.

Last season was arguably his best in the NFL as he reached a career-high with 2,562 passing yards. The 25-year-old is entering the fourth season of his rookie contract with a fifth-year option available.

Coincidentally, the Broncos reportedly were linked to Fields as they explored the quarterback market after moving on from Wilson.