The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to start QB Justin Fields on Sunday against the Denver Broncos as Russell Wilson continues to work his way back from a calf injury, but according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, it might not be long before Wilson is in the starting lineup. Fowler reported in his news and notes column on Wednesday that Wilson is expected to get the starting job back when he’s healthy.
“Even though Fields is expected to start for the Steelers in Denver, the belief is that Wilson will get the job once he returns from his calf injury. Pittsburgh believes Wilson’s command of the offense is stronger, and it seems like only an explosive performance from Fields can change the trajectory,” Fowler wrote.
It’s not a huge surprise given that Wilson was named the starter ahead of the season and Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin like his pedigree and leadership on and off the field. Fields is coming off a solid if unspectacular performance, leading the Steelers to an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, and he’ll likely have an opportunity to help the Steelers move to 2-0 on Sunday.
Mike Tomlin praised Fields’ performance on Sunday, but he put Russell Wilson in pole position back in March and rolled with him as Pittsburgh’s QB1 the entire time he was healthy. He offers more upside with his deep ball and accuracy, whereas Fields is better using his legs, as Wilson’s mobility is more limited now that he’s 35 years old.
The Steelers seem to be comfortable with Fields and aren’t going to rush Wilson back, but when Wilson does eventually get to full health, it sounds as if the job is more than likely going to be his. Fowler didn’t rule out Fields keeping the job, writing that an “explosive performance” could change things, and it sure would be interesting if Fields had a huge game to see what the Steelers would do.
But it does seem as if they prefer to turn back to Wilson and will do so whenever he returns. It doesn’t sound as if it’ll be this week, but there’s a chance that Wilson will be ready for Week 3 and could re-enter the starting lineup. For now, the hope is that Fields can do enough on Sunday to beat the Broncos on the road and get the Steelers to 2-0 and continue their leg up on the rest of the AFC North, who all lost in Week 1.
