Is it time for Russell Wilson to start over Justin Fields?
According to Mike Tomlin’s Tuesday press conference, quarterback Russell Wilson is now 100% healthy and ready to play. The problem the Steelers head coach finds himself in is whether or not Wilson should play over current starter Justin Fields.
Wilson, a 35-year-old veteran quarterback with a Super Bowl win on his resume was signed during the offseason as the Steelers cleaned house of their 2023 quarterback room, releasing Mitchell Trubisky, trading Kenny Pickett, and not re-signing Mason Rudolph. Once the Wilson signing became official, Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles and replaced by the Steelers trading with the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields.
Fields, a former first-round pick out of Ohio State, was believed to be mishandled in a bad situation with the Bears. His potential could be untapped in a better Pittsburgh environment under head coach Mike Tomlin and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Despite Tomlin stating that Wilson had the “pole position” on the team’s starting quarterback job, various levels of sports media miscategorized the Steelers training camp situation as a “quarterback battle” throughout the summer when Wilson sat out most of the team reps and preseason games due to a calf injury.
The Steelers were the final team to name their starting quarterback heading into Week 1, with Tomlin announcing Wilson as the starter, and the team subsequently naming him a captain. Shortly after Wilson had a setback, reaggravating his calf and leading the way for Fields, the backup, to become the starter against the Atlanta Falcons.
Fields continued as the team’s starter with Tomlin being non-committal on naming him long-term to the position on a week-to-week basis as Wilson worked his way back to full strength.
Fields operated as the starter for the last six games, guiding the Steelers to a 4-2 record but now it appears Wilson may be ready to take the wheel, leaving some fans and critics confused as to why a winning team would make such a big change.
Why now?
One of the reasons there may be a change is the format of Pittsburgh’s upcoming schedule. Fields has benefited from going up against subpar competition over the first six games. The Steelers shot out to a 3-0 record playing against rookie QB Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos and getting Taylor Heinicke for almost half of their matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Steelers would struggle in losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, setting up a must-win game for Fields to showcase his talents and perhaps put a stranglehold on the starting spot.
However, despite the Steelers’ offense putting up over 30 points, Fields didn’t necessarily firm his grasp on the position with any “wow” performance. Fields completed 58% of his passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Instead of using his arm, the young quarterback dazzled with his feet, running for 59 yards and two touchdowns.
It was the third time in six games that Fields rushed for over 50 yards and at least one touchdown, but also the fourth time this season he’s failed to throw for at least 200 yards.
Fields falling behind?
Alarming is Fields’ regression in completing passes, with Sunday’s game being his second consecutive completing fewer than 60% of his throws. But that’s not the most concerning detail, as Fields has fumbled a league-high six times this season, with those occurring in five of his six starts.
A roughing the passer penalty negated a would-be Raiders interception in the red zone in last week’s game, with Fields also benefitting from other dropped picks throughout these games.
It leads the most analytical of us to wonder if the Steelers could sustain the game manager, mobile quarterback approach for a full 17 games. With the mutterings of Wilson potentially starting, that answer is likely no, and the staff wants to see more from their quarterback which should result in more from their offense.
It seems like an awkward situation following a 32-13 result, but 12 of those points came from Chris Boswell field goals on stalled drives. Two of the Steelers’ three touchdown drives were a series of 18 and 7-yard possessions as the result of short fields handed to them by the defense.
Kenny Pickett living rent-free
If you recall, the 2023 Steelers were also 4-2 after six games: with the same criticism of their offense not being good enough to hang with true contenders in the AFC. Incidentally, Kenny Pickett’s stats through six games – following a walloping of the Raiders too – left him with 1,257 passing yards on 184 attempts, a 60.8% completion rating. Pickett had 5 touchdowns to 4 interceptions with 16 sacks taken but no fumbles lost.
Fields stands at 66.3% of his passes completed on 160 attempts for 1,106 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. He has also been sacked 16 times.
I don’t recall anyone feeling that the 2023 Steelers offense was dynamic or even competitive, with many fans begging for backup Mitch Trubisky to replace Pickett, often citing the latter as a “first-round bust.” That too would come to pass, leaving us all to wonder if this year’s iterations are truly an upgrade.
Wilson: Upgrade?
Fields has the added component of extending plays and converting first downs – and touchdowns (five of them) – with his feet. Tomlin admitted that Wilson does not have the same talents, admittedly at 35 years old we shouldn’t expect that either. But will Wilson be able to boost the passing game, adding a vertical element that helps keep defenders from stacking up on the line of scrimmage to contain the run game?
That much is a wait-and-see approach too, as Wilson hasn’t thrown for 300 or more yards in a winning effort since 2020. Smith is also Wilson’s fifth different offensive coordinator in as many years while playing for his third team over the same span.
Concerning could be Fields’ feet versus Wilson’s lack of mobility. Has Fields’ ability to run masked further issues with the Steelers’ offensive line? Or is it the opposite, that Fields runs when he’s unable to make timely reads?
One thing is for certain: both quarterbacks were among the most sacked in 2023 after taking the longest to release the ball. In the case of Wilson, he’s less prone to fumbles and interceptions than Fields, which could be one key as to why the team wants to make the change.
The other? Wilson is a Super Bowl-winning veteran who was on the verge of league MVP talks several times throughout his career. That’s one thing Fields can’t boast having entered his fourth NFL season.
Final Thoughts
So is it time for Wilson to start? With two tough New York defenses coming to town before a bye week, this could be as good a time as ever for the Steelers to spin the tires on playing Wilson before making another major decision as they head into divisional play following their break. If Wilson proves to be any less of a game manager than Fields, the Steelers could revert to their younger option.
However, if Wilson’s floor is higher than Fields’ ceiling has been thus far, and the veteran provides a boost to keep the Steelers in shootout games with teams such as the Eagles or Chiefs, that’s precisely where Mike Tomlin will stand for the remainder of the season.
Also, don’t forget that the business side of the NFL is in play here. The Steelers will owe the Bears a higher draft pick (a fourth rounder instead of a sixth) if Fields plays a certain percentage of games. Starting Wilson this Sunday against the Jets could be as much about the compensation owed to Chicago as it is getting their prized free agent on the field.
Tomlin is stuck in a scenario where he can’t wait for Fields to fail and find out that Wilson isn’t the answer either. The time is now to rip off the bandaid and see if the veteran quarterback is the starter they envisioned him as when he was signed back in March.
