Justin Fields may not be worried about the Week 2 starter at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he might be the only one. It is set to once again be among the top stories of the week in the national media, and how the Steelers proceed could have ripple effects for the rest of the season.
Former NFL coach Rex Ryan was asked if Fields should be the starter next week against the Denver Broncos.
“Well yeah, absolutely,” Ryan said via ESPN’s Get Up on Monday morning. “And look, nothing against Russell Wilson because he’s not healthy right now. So the decision is simple. And you know me, I’ve always called [Fields] the future because I love the ability of this guy right here.”
I get why most would want to continue with Fields since he delivered the Steelers a Week 1 win on the road against a team that many (including myself) thought they would lose to. But Wilson was reportedly telling the Steelers that he could play and they chose to hold him out. Unless there is a setback, Wilson will be itching to play again, especially in his revenge game against the Broncos.
I’m not so sure that Fields had the type of performance that warrants a guaranteed second start, either. He made a few big plays in big moments, and his ability to run was needed at times throughout the game, but the offense still felt fairly one-dimensional. They didn’t even get in the end zone a single time, and we might be having a different conversation if Chris Boswell wasn’t automatic from 50-plus yards out.
If Wilson had started and had a similar performance without a touchdown on offense, would people be clamoring for Fields? I am quite certain they would be.
“I don’t think it’s fair to Russell Wilson to dismiss him,” Ryan said. “If he was healthy, he’d be the starter. You’re looking at a guy that’s a Hall-of-Fame quarterback…You don’t just throw this guy out. Now the opportunity has presented itself, right? And sometimes when opportunity presents itself, you gotta take it and run. They are not gonna put Russell Wilson back in there until they have a reason.”
Week 2 is firmly up for debate. If Wilson’s calf was a new issue, maybe it would be less of a concern. But the fact is that his calf flared up 43 days after the initial injury, and that was with the Steelers being cautious and giving him ample rest. I don’t think we can count on him being healthy just 10 days after a reaggravation of the injury.
It’s very possible Fields gets another chance. If he continues to trend in the right direction as the starter, that is when it would be time for Wilson to start worrying about his long-term starting job.
“He’s a better athlete than he is a quarterback,” Ryan said of Fields in a clip of the show posted on X. “So what? So was Steve Young…So was Randall Cunningham. Well, guess what? They can get better. Those guys have a tendency to get better. And if all of a sudden this guy hits, you’re looking at a superstar.”
One thing Fields did well was limit his mistakes. There were no turnovers, and he avoided taking too many sacks. Those were two of the biggest concerns with him as a quarterback, so that is a big positive in his otherwise middle-of-the-road performance.
Will Mike Tomlin choose to ride the hot hand and use injury as an excuse to do so? He did it last year with Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett. If the Steelers feel like the ceiling is higher with Fields, they just might do that.
