When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded with the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields, it was to initially serve as a backup to Russell Wilson. Wilson is being given “pole position” by Head Coach Mike Tomlin to be the starter because of his experience and success in the league. However, that doesn’t mean Fields isn’t working hard to unseat him, or at least secure a spot on the team after this season.

Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun Times

Former Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson (left) and former Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields (right).

Fields got lucky during the first week of camp. Wilson was suffering from some calf tightness that caused him to watch from the sidelines. This meant Fields went in and took the reps as the first-string quarterback, giving him invaluable experience with the rest of the offense. During that time, Fields impressed many with his incredible athletic ability.

During the day five practice, fans got to see a little bit of Wilson, but it wasn’t much. It was still primarily Fields taking those first-team reps. One of the big knocks against Fields when he was with the Bears was that he struggled to be consistent. While it was just one day, he certainly looked consistent. He didn’t miss many throws, had some perfect deeper passes, and designed runs.

Fields knows he is not doing this alone and gives a lot of credit to his teammates, especially wide receiver George Pickens. During an interview with former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden on NFL on CBS, Fields spoke about the excellent chemistry the two are developing.

“He’s elite,” said Fields. “He’s elite in space. He’s elite with the ball in his hands. 50/50 balls aren’t really 50/50 balls. They’re more like 90/10 with him. So you can throw it up and he’s most likely going to come down with it. So it’s great having him up here. I’ve known George for a long time now, so I’m glad that I’m on the same team with him now. I mean seeing him kind of grow over the years, from high school to college, to where he is now. I mean, he’s getting better and better and better. So I’m excited for this upcoming year.”

Those contested catches are Pickens’ bread and butter. He excelled at them during the two years he’s been in the league and during his time at Georgia. Pickens was selected by the Steelers in the second round in 2022. He was widely considered to have first-round talent, but an injury and some character questions caused his stock to drop.

Matt Freed / Post-Gazette

Steelers’ George Pickens.

Pickens is going to be wide receiver one this season as the Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers during the offseason. The media is split on whether or not they believe Pickens is talented enough and emotionally ready to be the leader in that room. Pickens has been frequently criticized for some immature behaviors. There were questions regarding his effort on the field and his sportsmanship when he felt he wasn’t getting the ball enough.

Steelers’ New Wide Receiver Coach Whipping George Pickens Into Shape

There is no doubt that Pickens has a lot of raw talent, but the Steelers need to channel all of his energy into something that creates positive plays on the field. New Wide Receivers Coach Zach Azzanni is apparently here to do just that.

Azzanni is known to be a strict disciplinarian, and fans saw that right off the bat when he and Pickens were seen having a heated debate during one of the first days of camp. It is apparently working, as Pickens recently told the media that he views himself as a leader, which is new, and because of that, he is carrying himself a bit differently.

Steelers’ George Pickens getting coached by Zach Azzanni during practice.

When asked about his new coach, Pickens said he reminds him of his old college coach, Kirby Smart. That is certainly high praise, given what Smart has been able to do with the Bulldogs over the past few seasons. Pickens called him “high energy” and intelligent. This new in-your-face coaching style vastly differs from the style used during his first two seasons. Perhaps the familiarity with the coaching methodology will help bring out the best in Pickens.