Report shares if Steelers planned to start Russell Wilson over Kenny Pickett

There's more information regarding what the Pittsburgh Steelers did and didn't tell quarterback Russell Wilson about his spot on the depth chart before the club traded 2022 first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month. 

"Wilson didn't ask for assurances about a starting job, according to a source familiar with the conversations, and the Steelers didn't give any," ESPN's Brooke Pryor explained in a piece published Friday. 

That same source indicated Wilson was ready to compete for the QB1 gig this summer even though it was previously reported that the 35-year-old picked the Steelers over the New York Giants in free agency because the Giants "didn’t make any promises about playing time." 

Soon after news of Pickett's move to the Eagles broke, it was said he "preferred to move on" following Pittsburgh's signing of Wilson to a team-friendly deal. 

Pryor mentioned in Friday's article that Pickett was promised an "open competition" even though Wilson would take the first-team reps in practice. 

Multiple sources also told Pryor that Pickett "believed the Steelers were going back on their initial plan to give him the first-team reps, placing him at a disadvantage in any competition." 

In the end, the Steelers ultimately replaced Pickett on the roster by sending a conditional 2025 sixth-round draft pick to the Chicago Bears for 2021 first-round selection Justin Fields. 

"As the trade was being finalized, the Steelers reached out to both Wilson and Fields, informing them that Wilson will have the 'pole position' entering 2024," Pryor said about the club's starting job. "The 25-year-old Fields, they said, was added and would learn behind the 35-year-old Wilson."

Most analysts and insiders expect Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will give Fields every opportunity to defeat Wilson in a legitimate competition that will run from training camp through the preseason. Some assume it's only a matter of time before Fields replaces Wilson as the club's starter between now and Week 18. 

As for Pickett, he joined an Eagles team that is firmly behind starting signal-caller Jalen Hurts less than 12 full months after Hurts inked a five-year contract extension reportedly worth up to $255M with $179.3M guaranteed. 

Philadelphia theoretically could look to escape Hurts' deal next offseason, but such conversations will mean little as it pertains to Pickett receiving meaningful playing time this fall as long as Hurts is healthy.