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Mike Tomlin was hoping to harness some gamesmanship by being coy about which quarterback is going to start for the Steelers on Sunday, but George Pickens immediately spoiled that plan after his head coach announced he was keeping the decision under wraps.
The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to get off to a very fresh start at quarterback after the end of last season when it became pretty clear Kenny Pickett was not going to be the guy to fill the void that formed following the conclusion of the Ben Roethlisberger Era.
The team made a fairly bold move when free agency kicked off by signing Russell Wilson to a one-year deal that only set them back $1.2 million, and a day later, they shipped Pickett off to the Eagles while executing another trade to acquire Justin Field from the Bears to presumably serve as a backup to the 12-year veteran.
Prior to training camp, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he’d give both men the chance to compete for the starting job, and while Wilson ultimately prevailed, Fields was the guy under center in the season opener thanks to a calf injury that sidelined the man coming off a disastrous two-year stint with the Broncos.
Fields has looked pretty solid while helping Pittsburgh get off to a 4-2 start, and Tomlin knew he’d eventually have a decision to make once Wilson got to the point where he was healthy enough to play.
This week, there were rumblings there was going to be a changing of the guard when the Steelers face off against the Jets on Sunday, and while Tomlin acknowledged he’d made a decision while speaking with the media on Friday, he declined to name any names while saying he intended to keep the information “in-house.”
It didn’t take very long for the mystery to be solved courtesy of Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, who spoke with ESPN‘s Brooke Pryor in the locker room shortly after Tomlin made that proclamation and said he took some extra reps with Wilson after practice “because this is his first start.”
George Pickens said he’s been putting in extra work with QB Russell Wilson after practice – more than usual – “because this is his first start.” pic.twitter.com/6rlQSBU8Hj
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) October 18, 2024
Oops.