When will Russell Wilson play for the Steelers?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been eager to see Russell Wilson finally take the field for the Steelers. Besides his superior ability, he’s often a good wager on GGBET and other sites. Unluckily, it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride, with Wilson dealing with calf tightness since the preseason.
Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been pretty tight-lipped about the quarterback’s status, only saying that Wilson isn’t quite ready yet, and that they’re monitoring his progress closely. Meanwhile, backup quarterback Justin Fields has been holding down the fort and doing a reliable job, leading the Steelers to a 2-0 start. So, the big question remains: When will we see Russell Wilson back in action? Here’s what we know and what it means for the Steelers moving forward.
Expected date of return
So, when will Russell Wilson be back? It’s the million-dollar question right now. According to Coach Tomlin, Wilson’s return is still up in the air. The calf injury Wilson sustained during training camp flared up again in the week leading up to the Steelers Week 1 game against the Falcons. Wilson has said he’s “getting closer and closer” to being game-ready, but there’s no firm date yet.
The team is taking it week by week, monitoring his progress in practice. Wilson has been participating in a limited capacity, but the coaching staff wants to make sure he’s fully healthy before throwing him back into the mix. Considering that Wilson was reinjured so easily, this is a wise move for Pittsburgh, especially this early in the season. We might see Wilson back sooner rather than later, (more on that below) but for now, it’s all about patience and making sure he’s 100% for the long haul, especially late in the season with games scheduled against the Eagles, Chiefs, and Ravens.
Why is there so much interest in when Wilson will be back?
The simple answer is that Wilson is a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback who was typically in the conversation for league MVP. Such pedigree could finally bring some stability back to the Steelers quarterback situation that saw three different starters in 2023 and has spun wildly since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement following the 2021 season.
Wilson can be a dynamic threat on the field, as we saw several times with the Denver Broncos last season. His ability to extend plays plus his veteran leadership are intangibles you can’t replace. Fans are curious if Wilson, now 35-year-old, was misused during his past two seasons with the Broncos. They want to know if he still has gas left in the tank to help take a Steelers, that has an elite defense, to the next level.
That next level would be winning a postseason game and making a run at a seventh Lombardi trophy.
The Justin Fields factor
Here’s where things get interesting. Justin Fields, who has been playing in Wilson’s absence, is a younger prospect with high upside. Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears to solidify their future at the quarterback position, but that didn’t happen for one reason or another. Enter the Steelers, who took on the 25-year-old passer to hopefully correct the issues he had on his previous team and untap his undeveloped potential as a high draft pick.
While the Steelers have won their first two games with Fields at the helm, he’s managed games more than taken over, doing just enough to earn a victory in both. Against the Atlanta Falcons, Fields completed 17 of 23 passes for 156 yards. He would only throw for 117 yards on 20 attempts against the Broncos last week.
However, there are plays that were left on the field, such as multiple passes to WR George Pickens that were taken away due to penalties. This would’ve upticked Fields’ stats some more (by as many as 106 yards) but that still leaves a lot to be desired two weeks into the season.
On his weekly podcast Footbahlin, the aforementioned Roethlisberger is quoted in saying Fields has done enough to keep his spot, even when Wilson is fully fit. “So far, I like what I’ve seen. I like that he’s getting into it. I like that he’s getting the feel of it. If you told me that they’re 1-1 or 0-2 and this is going on, I’d say, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to do something.’ But he’s not turning the ball over. They’re 2-0”.
Steeler Nation appears to be behind Fields. Social media was agog with endorsements of the new kid on the block after the Falcons game. A user said Fields was more attuned to the ‘ground and pound’ offense style of the Steelers, while another said he was more than convinced of keeping him a starter unless Russ comes out throwing darts like 2007 Kurt Warner. Although he’s received some flak for his offensive performance, it’s safe to assume Fields is doing no wrong to warrant being benched.
Will Wilson go right back in as the starter?
If Fields can put together an impressive victory against the Los Angeles Chargers this week, it could be difficult to justify benching him in favor of Wilson.
Yet, if Fields struggles, the calls for rushing Russell Wilson back into the starting role will be loud and unanimous. That’s because of Wilson’s proven track record over his previous twelve NFL seasons. Fields does not have the same quality body of work to fall back on and has been seen as a failure during his previous tenure. It will take more convincing performances to sway the public opinion, and perhaps that of Pittsburgh, to keep Fields as the long-term starter.
Coach Tomlin has also been mum on answering the question directly, stating that Wilson has always been in the “pole position” but never stating directly that the starting quarterback job is his to lose. In fact, Tomlin was non-committal in naming the team’s starter, as the Steelers were the last of the NFL’s 32 franchises to announce who would be under center for Week 1.
However, there’s still strong reason to believe that Wilson wouldn’t lose the presumed starting job due to injury. What Wilson is potentially capable of, is something that Fields has been lacking through two weeks: getting the offense to finish drives scoring touchdowns. Pittsburgh’s offense has been devoid of scores, not only through two games but going back to the preseason where Fields still struggled against lesser competition.
If Fields can’t score, Wilson will be called upon to upgrade the offense.
Big decision ahead: Russell or Fields?
While the Steelers still have “lesser” opponents on their schedule to begin their 2024 season, it will be Fields’ time to shine while Wilson recovers. The Chargers and Colts both appear to be winnable games that Fields can still manage through while Wilson returns to full strength. However, a poor showing against LA or Indianapolis could very well see Wilson jump into the top spot and takeover as the starting QB when the Steelers host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 5.
If not, games against the Raiders, Jets, and Giants loom before a Week 9 bye week. Then the schedule gets exponentially tougher, as all six of the Steelers AFC North division games take place from Weeks 11 through 18.
Coach Tomlin has a tough decision ahead. Do you go with the experienced veteran in Wilson or stick with the hot hand in Fields? For now, Wilson has been relegated to an inactive in the lineup, designated as the team’s emergency quarterback. If he’s upgraded to be Fields’ backup, it could mean that the latter is on a short leash while the team is prepared to have the elder veteran takeover at the first sign of struggling in-game.
It’s a good problem for the Steelers to have, but it also adds some drama to the locker room. If Fields keeps playing well and winning, he deserves to stay in the lineup. With Wilson as a backup, the Steelers are a far better position than they were in with their quarterbacks last season. Really, that’s all you can ask for as the situation sorts itself out.
