Justin Fields Raves About Russell Wilson’s Leadership

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields said at OTAs on Thursday that Russell Wilson is everything that you want in a leader.

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields during OTAs at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on May 28, 2024. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

PITTSBURGH — Despite narratives out of Denver, Russell Wilson has been nothing but a leader since arriving in Pittsburgh.

Wilson orchestrated an offseason workout with receivers in San Diego, sat next to Steelers offensive lineman Spencer Anderson at the Penguins game. Anderson was a seventh-round pick out of Maryland last year. He also took a group of the offensive linemen to the Pirates game in April as a tribute for their hard work in the team’s first phase of workouts.

Wilson and Justin Fields recently took the offensive linemen out to dinner at the Capital Grille in downtown Pittsburgh to build camaraderie.

“It’s been cool. These guys are so focused,” Wilson said. “They work their butts off in the weight room, on the field, in the film room. Just to be able to share life experiences with one another as much as we can. It’s been hectic, it’s been busy. The more we spend time together, the better. It was a good dinner for sure.”

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson

Fields raved about Wilson’s leadership at OTAs on Thursday. It’s been a great experience for him to learn from a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion.

“It’s been great just learning from him every day,” he said. “Just how detailed he is with everything. Just how he works. Everything he does. The way he acts around his teammates. He’s been great. A great teammate to me. A great mentor to me so it is awesome to have a guy like Russell in the room. You get to learn from him and kind of pick his brain on some stuff.”

Multiple sources told Alan Saunders of Steelers Now that by the end of the Wilson’s tenure in Denver, the relationship with Broncos head coach Sean Payton had become toxic. It appears that Denver was just an awful fit for Wilson.

Wilson has embraced the city of Pittsburgh since signing with the Steelers in March. He was on the stage with Zac Brown at the Kenny Chesney concert, he brought his family along for the Steelers team bonding day at Kennywood. He even goes to barbershops in the city.

That sure doesn’t sound like an elitist.

Nick Farabaugh contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.

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