Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin named veteran Russell Wilson the team’s starting quarterback entering Week 1 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, settling a debate that really wasn’t much of a decision throughout the offseason.
Despite Tomlin’s comments about Wilson and the belief the team has in the nine-time Pro Bowler, which has seemingly caused many in the national media to be confused, the conversation nationally has shifted to how long will Wilson be the starter?
During Thursday’s Get Up show on ESPN, that was a big part of the conversation regarding the Steelers. That led to former NFL offensive lineman Damien Woody stating that he believes the leash will be short on Wilson early in the season, especially with Fields looming behind him.
“Could you imagine if Pittsburgh starts out 0-2, and Russell Wilson doesn’t play well? You know what’s gonna be going on in Pittsburgh? They’re gonna be calling for Justin Fields to get on the field, okay? So there’s not gonna be much leash for Russell Wilson,” Woody said, according to video via ESPN. “You heard Mike Tomlin talk about, basically it was Russell Wilson’s resume throughout his whole career that that gave him favor as far as his starting job is concerned. But once we get out there on the field, you gotta go out there and prove it.
“And if you don’t do that, Justin Fields is gonna be sitting right there squarely waiting in the wings.”
Based on the Steelers’ recent history with any sort of potential QB “competition”, that leash might be a bit short for Wilson, if we’re being fair.
Let’s think back to the 2022 season. Veteran Mitch Trubisky lasted all of three-and-a-half games, getting pulled at halftime of the Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets for rookie Kenny Pickett. At the time, Tomlin stated he felt the Steelers’ offense needed a spark, turning to Pickett.
Like Wilson, Trubisky was the perceived starter following his signing and then all throughout training camp. There was never really a competition then, either.
So, maybe the leash will be short for Wilson, especially with Fields waiting in the wings and Tomlin talking up the fourth-year quarterback’s freakish athleticism and what he brings to the table. But pulling the plug on Wilson that quickly after showing so much confidence in him throughout the offseason and never really holding a true QB competition in the first year of a new offense seems like it would be disadvantageous for the Steelers.
The history is there though with Tomlin, that’s for sure.
Former NFL wide receiver Harry Douglas agreed with Woody, stating that the Steelers, because of the back end of the schedule being so difficult, can’t waste time early in the season. If it’s not working with Wilson under center, the Steelers have to move to Fields.
“You look at those first four games, and if you’re looking at that schedule, you’re saying to yourself if you’re Mike Tomlin, these are games that we should be able to win,” Douglas said. “Going against the Falcons, the Colts, the Chargers, and also the Denver Broncos, if things aren’t looking right in those first four games, you can’t waste time.
“You gotta go to the younger player, Justin Fields.”
That certainly seems logical at face value.
The early portion of the Steelers’ season seems rather manageable on paper. In fact, Get Up had a graphic showing that it’s the third-easiest schedule in football in the season’s first 10 weeks. So, the Steelers have to get off to a fast start.
If not, it could put them in a hole they might not be able to get out of late in the season. So, the pressure is on early in the year, and the leash might be short for Wilson, which wouldn’t be all that much of a surprise, even with the talk all offseason that it was Wilson’s job, and he’d get a long look.
