NFL Exec: Steelers Should Be 'Applauded' for Russell Wilson Contract, Fields Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers trotted out Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky at quarterback last season, which isn't exactly an inspiring group of signal-callers.

Things look much different heading into the 2024 campaign with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields now on the depth chart, which earned praise from an NFL executive.

"They should be applauded for where they are at and what they have done," the executive said of the team's quarterback situation, per Mike Sando of The Athletic.

Pittsburgh improved its quarterback room without giving much up. It traded a 2025 sixth-round pick that can become a fourth-rounder to the Chicago Bears to land Fields, which was a move that came after signing Wilson to what ESPN's Adam Schefter deemed a "team-friendly, one-year deal."

It was so team-friendly for the Steelers because the Denver Broncos will be on the hook for $38 million of Wilson's salary.

There are still question marks about the position, as Wilson was nowhere near the version of himself that fans saw on the Seattle Seahawks when he was in Denver. And Fields still brings a high ceiling to the table at 25 years old, but he has been inconsistent as a passer in addition to his explosive running ability.

Fields also has a $25.7 million contract option for the 2025 season on his contract, so Pittsburgh is going to have to be in full-time evaluation mode next season to see if the former first-round pick is worth keeping on the roster at that price beyond 2024.

Still, the Steelers' outlook is much better at the quarterback position than it was at the end of the 2023 season, which is as good a reason for optimism as any entering a new campaign.