Is it time for the Steelers to turn to Russell Wilson if healthy?
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has actively avoided naming a starting quarterback, even with Russell Wilson topping the depth chart. The fact that he has been topping the injury report is a big part of that, obviously. But Justin Fields has played solid to good football for a month now—minus some glaring concerns.
And the glaring concerns are what we have to talk about because, ultimately, we still haven’t learned anything new. Sure, there are some things Justin Fields is doing better, on average, including making better decisions. But on the whole, Russell Wilson is clearly a better and cleaner manager of the mechanics of offense.
I think we have to acknowledge that, playing from a deficit, we saw some of the Chicago Fields yesterday. There were times where he felt forced to try to do too much, and a lot of times it didn’t work. Sure, you’ll get an occasional great play, as on the shot on which he nearly stepped over the line of scrimmage. But with fewer peaks and valleys, Russell Wilson would provide a more stable performance.
And that is important for a team that is so dependent on its defense, especially on the days when it is not at its best. The Steelers’ defense certainly fell short of expectations yesterday. Fields impressed more often than not in trying to erase a 17-point deficit, but he was also partially responsible for the deficit.
Now, Russell Wilson isn’t completely immune to unforced errors, either, but some from Fields are egregious. We could just isolate the center-quarterback exchanges, which have been a major issue. That crept up in a pivotal moment yesterday and sabotaged any sincere final comeback attempt.
And so here we are, entering Week 5. If Russell Wilson is healthy this week, how seriously does Mike Tomlin consider playing him? We’re not going to learn much on Tuesday, beyond “we’ll let participation be our guide”. But we should know something by the end of the week. Even if we might not know the starter until Sunday.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
