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As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin their offseason with two new quarterbacks, head coach Mike Tomlin said Russell Wilson will be in the “pole position” in the quarterbacks room and Justin Fields will have the chance to compete with him when the time is right, per Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh.

The Steelers signed Wilson earlier in March before landing Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears. Despite bringing in Fields, Wilson has been expected to be the starter since the trade.

Tomlin credited Wilson’s veteran status as a reason why he will be QB1 this offseason.

“Russell is a veteran, man. He’s got a proven process of readiness,” Tomlin said. “He’s been in this league a long time, and he’s capable of rallying troops, receivers, tight ends, and running backs; he’s just got a lot of experience in terms of what it takes over a 12-month calendar.”

Wilson, who had 3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, was released from the Denver Broncos after a tumultuous two seasons. Now with the Steelers, he’s looking for a fresh start in Pittsburgh.

Fields had 2,562 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in Chicago last year before the Bears traded ahead of the NFL draft, where they are expected to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

While Fields will have to earn a starting spot in Pittsburgh, Tomlin believes he has a prime opportunity to learn from the veteran Wilson.

“I just think that that’s something that a younger guy like Justin can learn from,” Tomlin said. “And it provides clarity for all parties involved as they do some of the informal things at this time of year. You know, whether it’s coming together to work out in destinations and things of that nature.”

But Tomlin expects Fields to compete when the time is right. The head coach established early on that Wilson will be the starter this offseason, but Fields will have the chance to battle it out in practice.

“Rest assured, when it’s time to compete, Justin will given an opportunity to compete and we’ll allow those guys to sort themselves out,” Tomlin said. “But I thought it was appropriate to describe it in a way for when we get started. Russell’s in pole position, and I think his body of work justifies that. And just from my conversations with Justin, he is excited about working alongside Russell and learning some of those veteran tricks of the trade from behind a guy who has been around for over a decade.”

The Steelers had a shaky year in 2023 but managed to reach the playoffs, where they fell to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round. The quarterback position was a big question mark for Pittsburgh last season, but it now has a proven veteran as the starter and a viable option on the bench in Fields.