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Russell Wilson open to incorporating Justin Fields into offense alongside him

profilephotocropby:Suzanne Halliburton•05/31/24•

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justin fields russell wilson steelers
USA Today database

As Russell Wilson and Justin Fields compete against each other to be the Steelers starting quarterback, there’s some chatter that suggests maybe Pittsburgh should use both. At the same time.

Now, it wouldn’t be the primary Steelers offense, but a change of pace. Wilson could be under center with Fields lined up wide or as a running back. Pittsburgh used former Colorado Buffalo Kordell Stewart in such a way back in the 1990s when Bill Cowher was head coach and Neil O’Donnell the starting quarterback. Stewart even punted in a playoff game.

The modern-day equivalent would be Taysom Hill with the Saints. Hill, the athletic former BYU star, has more rushing and receiving yards (combined) than he does passing.

A reporter asked Wilson this week what he thought about utilizing both quarterbacks. Wilson liked the idea.

“Justin is obviously one of the most talented guys in the NFL,” Wilson said. “You know all the things he can do. The player, the quarterback that he is. He’s dynamic. It’s all about us winning. That’s the focus. I think it would strike fear in some defenses, that’s for sure.”

kordell stewart steelers
Kordell Stewart, seen here against the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, first got on the field early in his career as a runner or receiver. There’s talk Pittsburgh could do the same with Justin Fields. (Paul Gero/The Arizona Republic-USA TODAY Sports)

Steelers are installing new offense, will there be special packages?

New Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Mike Tomlin would have to weigh whether such plays were worth the risk of a Fields injury. But given how aggressive Pittsburgh has been this off-season, who knows? Wilson acknowledged Fields’ talents.

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“Justin is a franchise quarterback,” Wilson said. “He’s a guy that can do a lot of amazing things. So, we have two dynamic guys that can do a lot of special things.”

There was also chatter, which was ignited by Steelers running back Jaylen Warren, about the team using Fields to return kickoffs. But so far, that seems to be a non-starter.

In a conversation with TribLive earlier this week, Fields didn’t shy away from the idea of doing something besides throwing the ball.

“When my name is called, I’ll be ready,” Fields said. However, this is an important detail. As OTAs are going on, Fields said the Steelers have yet to work on any plays where both quarterbacks are on the field.

“We haven’t really talked much about that,” he said. “We’ve just been installing plays.”

But there’s always training camp.