The Pittsburgh Steelers secured Russell Wilson’s services in the 2024 NFL offseason with the aim of having him as their starting quarterback. However, due to a calf injury, he was unable to play in the first five games of the season.

Wilson has now returned to the active lineup to support Justin Fields during Week 6, and although Fields has seen some success with a 4-2 record, the 35-year-old quarterback is poised to possibly take his first starting opportunity with the Steelers.

Here’s what you need to know about the quarterback situation in Pittsburgh as a now-healthy Wilson prepares to compete with Justin Fields for a starting position.

Is Russell Wilson set to start this week?

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Wilson is “in consideration” to begin Pittsburgh’s Week 7 match against the New York Jets. During a press event on October 15, the veteran coach stated that the quarterback’s performances in practice will be crucial in determining who will start.

“I felt confident in his ability to demonstrate his health [last week],” Tomlin noted about Wilson, according to ESPN. “Now it’s about shaking off the rust. He’s under consideration this week. We’ll navigate this day by day, focused on positioning ourselves to win the football game.”

Tomlin added that Wilson will take first-team practice repetitions “at some point,” though he still needed to finalize the strategy for the position.

“I haven’t determined who gets the first snaps,” Tomlin said, explaining that Wilson and Fields will share practice reps. “That’s still a detail we haven’t finalized.”

Choosing to bench Fields in favor of Wilson would be unusual. Fields has played a significant role in helping the Steelers achieve a 4-2 record so far, and historically, no healthy quarterback with such a record has missed starting his seventh game in the Super Bowl era, as noted by NFL researcher Blake Warye.

Nonetheless, Tomlin has left the possibility open for Wilson while praising Fields for his solid performance in his rookie season with the Steelers.

“Justin has done well, and we’ve had some success, but we haven’t been great,” Tomlin remarked. “This league is fiercely competitive. We aim to be among the top teams, and we have a talented player who hasn’t yet had his chance, so we’re considering those possibilities.”

“This assessment doesn’t entirely reflect on Justin’s performance, whether it’s good or bad. Justin has certainly been an asset. For instance, he utilized his legs effectively last week, rushing for over 50 yards and scoring twice. We’re grateful for his contributions, including his ability to protect the football. However, we’re evaluating all our options as we do at every position.”

This evaluation may lead the Steelers to start Wilson if they believe he is their most capable option against the Jets. Tomlin also acknowledged the chance of playing both quarterbacks during Week 7.

“There’s certainly a scenario,” Tomlin responded when asked about the possibility of using both Fields and Wilson simultaneously. “That could have potentially been an option last week.”

Therefore, the competition for the starting quarterback position seems wide open as the Steelers head into Week 7. Even if Fields can fend off Wilson for the time being against the Jets, he will likely have the veteran quarterback keeping a close watch for the duration of the 2024 NFL season.

Steelers QB depth chart

The Steelers currently have three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, listed as follows:

1. Justin Fields
2. Russell Wilson
3. Kyle Allen

Wilson was initially anticipated to be the Steelers’ starter during training camp but fell to third on the depth chart due to a preseason calf injury. Ahead of Week 6, he moved up to second place, aiming to reclaim the starting position from Fields in the upcoming weeks.