Earlier this month, Ryan Clark boldly predicted that Justin Fields would lead the Pittsburgh Steelers into the playoffs. Today, he sang Russell Wilson’s praises. Appearing on ESPN’s First Take Friday, Clark said Wilson will receive the bulk of the starts this year, pointing to his intangible qualities that separate him from Fields.
“I believe it’s going to be Russell Wilson who gets the most starts,” Clark said. “They talked about the way he commanded the offense. Minkah Fitzpatrick talked about discussions that he and Wilson would have after practice…The total leadership and command that he has on the offense right now is much higher than Justin Fields.”
Given Wilson’s resume, a decade-plus veteran with a Super Bowl ring and Hall of Fame candidacy, it’s hardly a surprise to see Wilson show more command. But it’s a crucial difference maker in deciding the starter, especially for an otherwise young Steelers offense. Despite the calf injury that limited chunks of Wilson’s camp, those traits were on display when he practiced. Wilson was more vocal and louder with a stronger cadence, something we noted in our final camp evaluations.
“Though Pittsburgh often rotated both quarterbacks, all you needed to hear was the snap count to know who was in the game,” we wrote in our quarterback grades. “Wilson also effectively used cadence to get the defense to tip its hand on blitzes.
Fields could develop those traits over time but he’s not on that level now, still working on ironing out the inconsistences in his game and how to become the best version of himself before he can elevate the group around him. While it sounds like a sharp contrast to what Clark said two weeks ago, he and Pivot podcast co-hosts Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder attended a practice last week. Though the session was a walkthrough with low intensity, Clark’s observations of Russell Wilson – who practiced – and conversations with people like FS Minkah Fitzpatrick seems to have changed his mind.
Both quarterbacks will play. There will be a package of snaps for Fields, who enjoyed a strong and progressively better summer. But Pittsburgh had its eyes on Wilson to have a true veteran command and lead this offense. A calf injury hasn’t changed things. Wilson is the team’s quarterback, soon-to-be offensive captain, and the player the team will hitch its wagon to for at least the start of the season. And as Clark asserts, likely their quarterback for the bulk of 2024.
