Sean Payton ‘Desperate’ for Revenge Against Russell Wilson After 2023 Fumble While Mike Tomlin Threatens QB1 Status With Justin Fields Declaration

The 2023 NFL season ended with a cliffhanger in many scenarios. Questions about the future of various teams, most importantly the Denver Broncos have left the fans hanging in anticipation for the 2024 season to kick in. The team created history when it took on $85 million in dead money by trading Russell Wilson, who was anticipated back in 2022 to be the game-changer for the team. The 2024 schedule just got released a while ago and it made sure to add more fuel to the Wilson-Sean Payton feud.

As it stands, the Pittsburgh Steelers will lock horns with the Denver Broncos in week 2 of the upcoming season and a lot of old wounds are set to be exposed. Is this a “must-win” game for the Steelers or the Broncos? Nick Wright and his associates briefly touched on the topic in the latest installment of First Things First.

Russell Wilson and Sean Payton are desperate for results!

The hosts didn’t hesitate to dub the battle as an “early revenge game.” Per Chris Broussard, the game is a must-win for Russell Wilson because he’s been “scorned”, and he might have a chip on his shoulder because of how he was treated by the Broncos. The co-host also pointed out that Payton might lose the game because he has an inexperienced QB in Bo Nix.

Danny Parkins of the show also agreed that this game is a must-win for the Steelers QB1. That’s because if the team loses to the Falcons and the Broncos in starter games, the Steelers might be forced to put Justin Fields at the QB1 position. However, Nick Wright negated Chris Broussard and Danny Parkins and had a maverick stream of thought.

“Sean Payton already had an early season must-win against the New York Jets and lost that game because of a Russell Wilson fumble. He now has to get revenge on Russell Wilson for the previous must-win that he lost,” said Wright as he stood with Sean Payton.

Wright was talking about the game when the Jets won 31-21 against the Broncos after Russell Wilson fumbled the ball and the CB Bryce Hall recovered the ball and headed for the winning touchdown. This was the Jets’ answer to Payton and Co. after they fired Nathaniel Hackett, who joined the Jets.

But must win or not, there are questions around Russell Wilson’s position as the QB1. Mike Tomlin expressed earlier that Wilson is in “pole position” as the Steelers quarterback, but things may change if Wilson fumbles the bag once again. Mike Tomlin made it clear a while ago.

Tomlin is flexible about handling the QB1 position

By default, Russell Wilson is ahead in the “starting QB” conversation. That’s because of his veteran status and his being a former Super Bowl champion. His numbers of 43,653 yards, with 334 TDs and a 64.7% completion rate provide a thorough edge to Wilson. But it’s not like the team is ignoring Justin Fields at all. In all fairness, the Steelers are committed to giving Fields a chance as well.

A few weeks ago, Mike Tomlin appeared in a presser and said, “Russell is in pole position. His collective body of work merits that. But we’re really excited to have Justin as well. During the course of team development, training camp, and preseason he’ll be given the opportunity to compete.”

The statement takes us back to Danny Parkins’ comment that if the Steelers lose to the Falcons and the Broncos, Mike Tomlin and his associates might corner Russell Wilson and give Justin Fields a chance. But it’s not that simple as Tyler Dunne of Go Long got some feedback about Fields from his former coach.

“When you watch him, watch his eyes. He tries to see the whole thing and doesn’t see anything. His eyes are all over the place, and it’s just really hard to watch. It’s just bad football,” said the Bears coach about Justin Fields.

Comparing the feedback about Fields and Russell Wilson’s past with the Broncos, the Steelers are in a tough spot. Wilson’s affinity to hang on to the ball for longer than usual has caused problems on multiple occasions. Hopefully, he lets go of his old ways and leads the Steelers to at least a playoff run. Hence, keeping all of this in mind, Russell Wilson’s position as the QB1 is not etched in stone and things may change in the future as the situation demands.