ESPN NFL insider predicts Justin Fields starts Week 1 for Pittsburgh Steelers

ESPN insider Dan Graziano predicted Justin Fields will be the Week 1 starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers over Russell Wilson.

When the Steelers signed Wilson, it was logical to think he was the starter. But once they acquired Fields, things got interesting.

It could very well be the twilight of Wilson’s career and due to an injury prior to training camp, Fields might have a shot.

“It’s a lot more of a coin flip than most think, and I believe that part of the reason the Steelers have set Wilson up as the leader in the competition is because they believe that’s the best way to manage him,” Graziano wrote for ESPN. “But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Fields will show enough through camp to catch him and claim the Week 1 starting spot. I know most people disagree, and I am fully prepared to be wrong. 

“But the vibes didn’t start off great for Wilson, and I just think the Steelers are going to be too tempted by Fields’ upside once they see them both out there. The question then would become whether Wilson is on the team at all.”

Graziano reported Fields and Wilson are both in one-year, “prove it” situations. Pittsburgh has to see if they can roll with either QB or start preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft class.

“Everything I’ve heard on this for the past month or so has been that Wilson looked better in OTAs and minicamp. He entered training camp as the clear leader in the competition. But when camp opened, an interesting thing happened. Wilson injured his calf and missed the first two days of practice, allowing Fields an opportunity to work with the first-team offense.

This is no small development, especially considering training camp is probably the time of year that offers Fields the best chance to showcase the things he can do that could help him make up ground on Wilson. Fields is one of the most explosive runners in the league at the quarterback position … and while the 35-year-old Wilson can still get out on the move and make plays, he doesn’t offer what Fields does in that area.”

The dual threat capabilities of Fields are enticing, he just needs some fine tuning according to analysts and scouts. There’s still hope for Fields rather than the buzz for Wilson.

Both quarterbacks however, are certainly in that “prove it” mode.