There’s an old saying in the NFL that if you have two quarterbacks, you actually have zero quarterbacks. The point is that if both good quarterbacks play that is because neither one is good enough to be the full-time guy. The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to prove that sentiment wrong with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. However, Detroit Lions star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown believes there is no downside to the Steelers’ quarterback situation.
“I feel like they’re in a good situation,” St. Brown said on a recent episode of his podcast. “Choosing who to play between two quarterbacks, that’s a win-win. It’s not like they’ve got two bad quarterbacks. They’ve got two good quarterbacks. If any one of them gets hurt, you got one right there. They’re in a good situation.”
That is a good point to make, and it’s already proven to be true. Before the season started, Wilson suffered a calf injury. He was the starter, and usually that would leave the Steelers in a rough spot to start the year. However, because they have Fields, they were able to win four of their first six games.
There is some injury risk associated with both quarterbacks too. Wilson is 35 years old, and he’s already dealt with a lingering injury this year. Fields is much younger, but he’s a mobile player, which generally increases the amount of punishment he takes. If something happens to either of them, the Steelers should still be comfortable at quarterback.
However, that isn’t to say there aren’t any negatives with the Steelers’ quarterback situation. Wilson played well in his first game of the season, but it’s unclear if that will continue. He’s struggled over the past few years, so there’s no guarantee that he can continue to play well. Also, Fields was inconsistent as the starter. Now that he’s been benched, his confidence could be shaken too.
The positives do likely outweigh the negatives though. From the outside, it doesn’t seem like there’s any hostility between Wilson and Fields. The two of them worked closely together throughout the offseason. While they are competing, it doesn’t seem like they’re putting that above the team.
When looking at what the Steelers have had at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired, Fields and Wilson are both a breath of fresh air. They aren’t perfect, but the Steelers can win with them. There’s even a possibility that they both get to play in the same game. It might not be as ideal as St. Brown makes it seem, but it is considerably better than what the Steelers have had.
