Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers framed it as a quarterback battle, it felt like the job was always Russell Wilson’s to lose. Justin Fields impressed coaches, but he made enough mistakes to allow Wilson to hold onto the starting job. Former NFL cornerback, and also former teammate of Wilson, Richard Sherman believes he has an idea why there was never a true quarterback battle in Pittsburgh.
Sherman, who played in the NFL from 2011-2021, recently spoke on his podcast about the Steelers’ quarterback situation.
“I always thought [Mike] Tomlin’s a fantastic coach, never had a losing season, one of the greatest coaches in National Football League history,” Sherman said. “I don’t think he was gonna go into this season with an unknown.
“Whatever people may say, good or bad, about Russell Wilson, I think he had a solid season last year. In the chaotic situation he was in in Denver, I think he made the best of it, and he was able to put a solid product out there.”
Sherman and Wilson were together with the Seattle Seahawks from 2012-2017, so Sherman is more than familiar with Wilson. He believes that Wilson’s long tenure and proven capabilities are what won him the starting job, even if he isn’t the same player he was in Seattle. It’s tough to say if those things actually factored into Tomlin’s decision making, but they probably played a part.
The reality is that the Steelers have a very young offense, especially with left guard Isaac Seumalo expected to miss some time with a pectoral injury. To start the season, their most veteran starter up front will be James Daniels, who still only has six seasons under his belt. Wilson is going into Year 13 and has won a Super Bowl. That kind of experience and leadership can’t be replaced.
Fields isn’t a complete unknown — he has three NFL seasons under his belt — but he’s less predictable than Wilson. Fields is a boom-or-bust player at the moment. He can have amazing, explosive plays, but he can also make boneheaded mistakes. If he takes this time on the bench to continue to watch and learn, he could develop into a dangerous player.
Sherman’s analysis probably isn’t the only reason Tomlin made his decision, but it is important to recognize. The Steelers haven’t had this kind of experience at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger. The decision has been made, and now all that’s left is to see if Wilson can still perform at a high enough level to warrant being the starter. This quarterback battle is still far from over.
