The Pittsburgh Steelers list Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback, but Justin Fields is the one healthy and playing. After missing the opener with calf tightness, Wilson sounds like he may miss this week, as well. TE Pat Freiermuth isn’t overly worried about who is at quarterback, however, because he is comfortable with both. At the end of the day, there is only really one thing that he wants out of them.
“Whoever can get a W I’m cool with”, Freiermuth said of the quarterback question with Wilson and Fields. He spoke with Gerry Dulac on 102.5 WDVE last night, discussing the Steelers’ opening victory, and naturally the quarterback question arose.
“I think they’re similar. They kind of play the game the same way”, the fourth-year veteran said of Wilson and Fields. “Obviously, Russ is a little older, but he still has some wheels on him. No one’s gonna beat Justin in a race. He’s a hell of an athlete. But I think they’re very similar with the way they think about the game, play the game, what they see”.
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields do share some similarities, some of which are unmistakable. While Fields’ athleticism is at another level, Wilson is also mobile. They both have big arms, execute off of play-action, and are capable leaders. They also share some of the same flaws, though not in equal measure.
The Steelers gave up on Kenny Pickett, but who knows who gave up first in that relationship at this point. Either way, Pittsburgh brought in Russell Wilson, and after trading Pickett at his request, they traded for Justin Fields.
Throughout the offseason, head coach Mike Tomlin declared that Wilson had “pole position”, a spot he never relinquished. Even weathering a calf injury throughout training camp, he still remained ahead of Fields. That is until he experienced calf tightness last week, and now who knows where we are.
Until Wilson is healthy, it seems the Steelers are prepared to run Fields out there. The question is, how well does Fields have to play before Wilson’s health is immaterial? Tomlin refused to indulge in such hypotheticals, but it doesn’t seem much to read into.
Russell Wilson could end up in the Hall of Fame, but his glory days seem to be behind him. As for Justin Fields, he could not rise to his pedigree during his first NFL three seasons before the Bears traded him. Now he is trying to redeem himself in Pittsburgh, and he is arguably off to a good start.
Justin Fields completed 17-of-23 passes in his Steelers debut for 156 yards. He did not throw a touchdown, nor even lead a touchdown drive, but he didn’t turn the ball over, either. He also rushed for 57 yards during the game in a variety of ways. While he had some issues, particularly center exchanges, he generally played a smart game.
And Russell Wilson seemed to play the role of teammate and leader well on the sideline. He constantly engaged with the other players and was always in Fields’ ear once he came off the field. As long as the Steelers win games, it seems like a fine dynamic. But they have to win for this to work, just like anything else.
