The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be in a predicament at quarterback once again. With Russell Wilson suffering a calf injury, Justin Fields could be the starter in Week 1. If he has a good performance, it will likely spark discussion about the quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh. However, CBS Sports analyst John Breech believes that this decision should be an easy one to make for the Steelers.
On a recent episode of CBS Sports HQ, Breech was asked if he believes Fields being the starter is a downgrade or an upgrade.
“I think in this exact situation, putting Justin Fields in is an absolute upgrade,” Breech said. “I don’t even know why you would think about playing Russell Wilson. If this was, ‘Patrick Mahomes has a calf strain and let’s maybe play his backup.’ No, you’re playing Patrick Mahomes.
“We’re talking about a 35-year-old Russell Wilson who’s not very mobile as it is and it’s not like he’s been lighting up the league for the past two years.”
Breech’s point is a fair one to make. Wilson does have a lot of wear on his tires, and although he hasn’t missed many games in his career, Father Time is undefeated. He’s been declining since he left Seattle, and while he’s better than anything the Steelers had at quarterback last year, playing him while he’s injured might not be wise.
However, Breech’s argument weakens when he says there’s no reason to think about playing Wilson. There are still upsides to having Wilson start. The biggest example is that he won the quarterback battle this offseason. No matter what anyone thinks, Mike Tomlin liked what he saw from Wilson and felt confident in his abilities.
Also, if Fields plays well, then that opens up a whole new can of worms for the Steelers. If Wilson is healthy the following week, do they allow him to play against the Denver Broncos, his former team? Does one game erase what the Steelers saw between the two quarterbacks this offseason?
Tomlin is probably solely focused on the game against the Falcons, so he more than likely hasn’t spent too much time on these questions, but they could become prominent issues in the future. The point is that this is more complicated than Breech makes it seem. The goal is for the Steelers to win on Sunday, and if they do that, then nothing else really matters. Next week’s problems will be solved next week.
