Once again, the big question for the Pittsburgh Steelers this week is who will start at quarterback. It seems like Justin Fields will get the nod, with the team not wanting to push Russell Wilson. However, they are playing the Denver Broncos, Wilson’s former team, so he’ll probably want to play. Analyst Rich Eisen believes the Steelers may have no choice but to go with Fields.
On a recent episode of his show, Eisen discussed the Steelers quarterback situation.
“Didn’t see this one as the way this would play out,” Eisen said. “You gotta figure if Justin Fields keeps getting opportunities, and as long as they keep winning, they’re not gonna switch it up. If Russ [Wilson] is not available, that’s one way to say, ‘We’re going with Justin Fields.’ If it’s just like, ‘Hey, we like Justin Fields,’ that’s an entirely different situation.”
Unfortunately for Wilson, Eisen probably isn’t wrong. It’s so hard to determine what could happen, though. The Steelers held a quarterback battle this offseason, and Wilson won. They felt like he gave them a better chance to win. However, Fields didn’t do anything to hurt his chances in Week 1. He wasn’t amazing, but he probably opened the door a little more.
This has been the story with these two players since training camp started. Wilson looks like the starter, then he gets injured, and suddenly, Fields is in control of the offense. The Steelers can’t keep flip-flopping between both quarterbacks, either. Eventually, they’ll have to make a decision and stick with it.
However, they won’t have to make that choice this week. If Fields does start, it sounds like it will be a result of Wilson’s injury. It won’t be like they’re choosing Fields over Wilson. They’re being cautious with Wilson’s injury to prevent it from getting worse.
Unfortunately, Wilson won’t be able to prove to the Broncos that they were wrong to cut him. If the Steelers win with Fields starting, it will just make Wilson’s case to get the job back weaker. It will be interesting to see if he’s healthy in Week 3 if the Steelers give him back the reigns. It’s a good problem for the Steelers, but it’s still a problem.
