Russell Wilson Confesses ‘Hard’ Justin Fields Truth as Jets QB Sets Strong Expectations From Locker Room

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields had been in touch for years, going back to Fields’ time at Ohio State. The connection was more along the lines of casual check-ins and shared respect, not much more. But when the Bears made it clear in 2024 they were moving on, and Wilson was eyeing his next stop after Denver, those conversations turned specific. Wilson had said at the time, “I think the best part about it is… when I was able to come here, shortly after, Justin and I were texting about places.”

Pittsburgh felt right. At first glance, it might’ve sounded like just casual banter. When the team brought in Wilson on a one-year veteran deal in March 2024 and traded for Fields days later, it created one of the league’s most unconventional quarterback rooms: a 35-year-old former Super Bowl champion and a 25-year-old former first-round pick, both with something to prove. That spring, Fields described the relationship as both mentorship and competition.“I’m definitely competing,” he said. “I think Russ knows that we’re competing against each other every day. Him being out there pushing me, that has to make you get better. I definitely don’t have the mindset of me just sitting all year.”

Fast forward, and both quarterbacks are now on different teams. On one hand, Fields is with the Jets. On the other hand, Wilson inked a one-year deal with the Giants. But let’s face it—even though their season in Pittsburgh was a mixed bag, and those Wilson vs. Fields debates just poured gasoline on the fire, at the end of the day, Wilson still has Fields’ back.

A couple of days ago, Wilson stopped by 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, where he talked about his time with Fields way before joining the Steelers. “Justin is my guy,” Wilson explained. “I’ve been able to connect with Justin since he was at Ohio State, which is hard for me to say because I went to Wisconsin… But I mean, I have gotten to know him way back in the day.” Noted.

When Wilson joked about it being “hard” for him to connect with Fields during his collegiate career, he wasn’t just being playful. The rivalry between their alma maters is well-established. Ohio State leads the series 63–18–5 and hasn’t lost to Wisconsin since 2010. Wilson’s lone season in Madison in 2011 didn’t include a win over the Buckeyes, but it elevated Wisconsin to national relevance. Fields, nearly a decade later, led Ohio State to a 20–2 record as a starter, including a College Football Playoff berth. Though Ohio State and Wisconsin have faced each other regularly, Wilson and Fields played nearly a decade apart. It never overlapped—the Buckeyes’ 2011 win over Wilson came eight years before Fields arrived in Columbus.

However, things changed as the years passed. The Steelers planned to develop Fields behind Wilson during the last season. But Wilson’s calf injury came out of nowhere, and Fields had to step up to lead the Steelers. The guy gave a 4-2 start in his first six weeks, but that wasn’t enough for Mike Tomlin to name him the team’s starter. Even though Wilson struggled during the final leg of the 2024 regular season, the Steelers resisted naming Fields QB1.

Once the season wrapped up, Wilson adhered to staying in Pittsburgh, and Fields was… well, silent. Most of the time. Now that both of ’em are in New York, Russell Wilson believes that Justin Fields is a young stud and is going to be a great player. “Obviously, sharing the same room, just to be a mentor for him and to be able to connect, I’m always rooting for him. He’s gonna be a great player for sure. He’s a young stud.”

Speaking of which, as Fields is gearing up to start for his third team, the quarterback believes that New York is going to be good for him.

Justin Fields is looking forward to being ‘great’

After a couple of underwhelming seasons, the Jets took a moment to address their roster woes. The organization made a few changes to its roster, and so did to their coaching staff. From the arrival of Justin Fields in the QB room and receiver Josh Reynolds, to head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, you name it.

But despite these changes in the team, Fields has high hopes for his first year with the Jets, believing that it’s going to be their year. Fields interacted with the reporters during the team’s OTAs on Thursday and shed light on his hopes and expectations for the team. “I think I can be great,” he said. “That’s been the goal for me my whole life, my whole career. I think the sky’s the limit for this team, this offense, but we do have a long way to go.”

Entering the Jets’ locker room on a two-year $40 million deal, Fields will take the place of the four-time MVP, Aaron Rodgers, as the team decided to part ways with him. Under Rodgers’ leadership last season, the Jets ranked 24th in the NFL in scoring offense and 20th in points allowed. So yeah, safe to say, Fields and Glenn will start from scratch.

We’ll see if Fields would be able to turn the tables in New York this time, or he’d be the next victim of the Jets’ QB curse. Plain and simple.

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