Mike Tomlin
ORLANDO, Fla. — Mike Tomlin did not want to discuss what led to the surprising trade of quarterback Kenny Pickett, but he said the Steelers zeroed in on acquiring either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields in free agency and the “dominoes started falling” when they ended up with both of them.
Tomlin, though, said the Steelers have designated Wilson as the starter because they want to be transparent about the pecking order of their newly acquired quarterbacks.
But that arrangement would not have been in place with Pickett had he not been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, according to sources. Nonetheless, Wilson’s arrival angered Pickett to the point the Steelers traded their former No. 1 choice and signed Fields shortly thereafter.
“Russell’s in the pole position,” Tomlin said Sunday at the NFL owners meetings at the Grande Lakes Orlando Resort. “I just think that provides clarity for all parties involved. Russell is a veteran, man. He’s got a proven process of readiness. He’s been in the league a long time. He’s capable of rallying troops.”
Speaking for the first time since his season-ending news conference in January, Tomlin indicated that Fields, the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft, would be given a chance to compete for the starting position.
But in three years with the Chicago Bears, Fields was 10-28 as a starter and could benefit from working alongside Wilson, who will be 36 in November.
“Rest assured, when it comes time to compete, Justin will be given an opportunity to compete,” Tomlin said, sitting outside at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and looking relaxed wearing aviator sunglasses and a black T-shirt. “It will allow those guys to sort themselves out. Russell’s in the pole position. I think his body of work justifies that.
“He’s just got a lot of experience in terms of what it takes to be the guy over the course of a 12-month calendar. And I just think that’s something that a younger guy like Justin can learn from.”
The Steelers acquired Fields just hours after they traded Pickett to the Eagles, a move that stunned the city. According to multiple sources, Pickett was unhappy when the Steelers signed Wilson to a one-year, $1.2 million contract and didn’t want to battle him for the position.
Asked if he were disappointed with Pickett’s behavior, Tomlin said, “I’m not getting into the specifics of what transpired — who said what, who did what, really is water under the bridge at this point. I’m excited about the guys that we have in the room.”
Added Tomlin: “He felt like a change of scenery would be a good thing. I won’t get into the specifics of our conversations, but I am appreciative of his efforts during his time in Pittsburgh and I wish him nothing but the absolute best in Philadelphia.”
Wilson is coming off a season in which he threw 26 touchdowns — twice as many as Pickett had in two seasons — but the Denver Broncos were 11-19 and didn’t make the playoffs in his two seasons as the starter.
Tomlin said he thinks Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, can still play at a high level as he enters his 13th season in the league.
“I think probably the most attractive component of his profile, to me, is his quest for greatness,” Tomlin said. “This is not a guy who was hungry — that can be satisfied. This is a guy that’s driven, and you want to work with people of that mindset.
“This guy’s got a vision of what he wants his career to look like and he’s got a lot of work to do. He’s had some professional challenges, particularly in recent years, and he appears to be a guy that wants to meet those challenges head on and continue to move forward with his career. That was attractive.”
The moves to acquire Wilson and Fields overshadowed the Steelers’ other major move since the end of the season — trading leading receiver Diontae Johnson, who had 391 catches and 4,363 yards since being a third-round choice in 2019.
Tomlin said the Steelers traded their recalcitrant receiver to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson because they needed a cornerback. Jackson started 76 of 80 games and had 14 interceptions with the Panthers.
“Really simple, man,” Tomlin said. “We needed some assistance and depth and quality players at that position. And so we made the move. They needed Diontae and we need D-Jack. It was a good exchange.”
