We’ve heard so much negative about the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback battle, particularly pointed to Russell Wilson. That he’s over-the-hill, too slow, too corny, only won the job because Justin Fields lost it. Mark Schlereth may be plotting a kidnapping.
Put all that aside. Let’s talk about why Wilson is the starter. Why Mike Tomlin felt comfortable giving him the nod even knowing how exciting and dynamic Fields can be. What it boils down to is ball security. Like a running back avoiding fumbles, ball security is job security for all positions, quarterback included.
Though Pittsburgh’s offense hopes to be less inept than the last two seasons, it still won’t put up 30 points per game. It’s just not going to happen. The general structure of how the Steelers will win remains the same: run the ball, control the clock, play great defense, and take care of the football. That’s the main thing Kenny Pickett did well that allowed him to win despite 1940s-levels of passing production. He took care of the football.
Wilson has done the same. Fields hasn’t. That’s the difference and reason why Wilson is the guy. Looking back at the start of the century, here are the best/lowest interception rates of quarterbacks with at least 900 career attempts. Wilson ranks near the top. I won’t list out all 122 names but here are some benchmarks.
INT Rate (Since 2000, Minimum 900 Attempts)
1. Aaron Rodgers – 1.4 percent
10. Russell Wilson – 1.9 percent
43. Ben Roethlisberger – 2.5 percent
83. Justin Fields – 3.1 percent
122. Trent Dilfer – 4.3 percent
Russell Wilson is a stone’s throw from the leader, Aaron Rodgers. Ben Roethlisberger sat over a half-point higher, while Fields is over a percentage point above that. Put it this way. Fields is as close to Wilson as he is to the last place, Trent Dilfer.
Even as Wilson didn’t always pass the eye test last year in Denver, his INT rate sat right around his career average, 1.8 percent. That was eleventh-best in football. Fields was 24th behind Josh Dobbs, Aidan O’Connell, and Zach Wilson.
None of this even considers fumbles. Fields has been more prone to lose the ball than pretty much any other quarterback in football. While they both fumbled 10 times last year, Wilson played in two more games. And since 2021, Fields has put the ball on the ground 38 times. Wilson? Only 22. Even that number feels too high, Pickett only had six in his first two seasons, but Wilson still comes out on top.
Sacks are an issue for both. Wilson must cut his number down to avoid the negativity that comes along with it. But they don’t carry the weight turnovers do. Those create short fields for the opposition, limit your possessions, and just strain a Steelers’ defense that needs to be the strength and still keep the score down.
That’s why Wilson is the guy. Why he’s the right choice. It’s not to say he’ll have a great season or even start all year. But based on the information the team had, Wilson took better care of the ball while still being able to provide big plays. That gives him the edge. For now.
