Player: QB Russell Wilson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: In case anybody had any doubt, Russell Wilson will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Head coach Mike Tomlin all but announced it after pulling him following just one possession that ended in a touchdown. And while he didn’t make many throws, Wilson looked good, connecting with George Pickens down the field.
Russell Wilson won the Steelers’ starting quarterback job on two passes in yesterday’s game. Well, that is true only if you assume that he had anything left to win. The veteran quarterback went 2-for-2 on one drive yesterday, throwing for 26 yards. While he didn’t throw a touchdown pass, he led a touchdown drive and then promptly exited the game.
That is all head coach Mike Tomlin wanted to see from his unanointed starter, replacing him with Justin Fields. And Tomlin didn’t even keep Fields in much longer than Russell Wilson, perhaps to drive the point home further.
The Steelers aggressively recruited Wilson in March, an option only made possible by the Denver Broncos releasing him and paying him many million in the process. But even though they barely had to pay him, the Steelers believed then that they got their guy.
Because, you see, if the Steelers thought Justin Fields was their guy, they would have traded for him when they signed Russell Wilson. Perhaps they really do think Fields could develop into a guy in the future, but they never acquired him with an eye toward 2024.
Wilson’s calf injury to start training camp allowed people to play in a fantasy world for a bit, though. Fields got all that work and showed progress, legitimate progress, to his credit. Yet we saw what happened right at the finish line.
Mike Tomlin started Russell Wilson in yesterday’s game and pulled him after one drive that resulted in a touchdown. If you don’t already have a job secured, then you keep playing. It’s as simple as that. Even though he won’t say it, Tomlin announced his decision for the starting quarterback at that moment. And it was the one we already knew all along. But at least Wilson looked solid, even if not for a long period of time.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
