Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin might have been a bit tongue-in-cheek Tuesday when he declined to name a starting quarterback against the New York Giants, but it’s pretty clear that it’s Russell Wilson’s job moving forward.
Especially after what Wilson did on Sunday night in Week 7 against the New York Jets, throwing for a franchise-record 264 yards in his debut, leading the Steelers to a 37-point output, too.
While the Steelers are still pleased with Justin Fields and believe in him long-term, the focus is on right now, and Wilson came through with a huge performance, grabbing hold of the job and rewarding Tomlin for his faith in him.
So, moving forward, Wilson appears to be the guy. Even if Mike Tomlin won’t say it.
“Mike, you can fool the rest of, and you ain’t fooling me, man. I know who your starter is. That smile was not because you not naming a starting quarterback. It’s because you knew that you wanted Russ in there. Russ went out there and balled. He has his quarterback,” former NFL wide receiver Andrew Hawkins said on ESPN’s Get Up Wednesday morning, according to video via ESPN. “I don’t know if that’s not clear to anybody else. Even the way he described him, world champion, nine, 10-time Pro Bowler. Those were adjectives to let everyone else know out there, ‘This is why I decided to go with him.’ His willingness to throw the ball down the field’s the big thing, yes.
“It’s what balanced the offense out. It took the onus and the burden of responsibility off the run game. And it became addition by subtraction in the whole set. So yes, he’s there every day. He’s making those decisions. There shouldn’t be a question. I’m telling you right now, Mike Tomlin knows who his quarterback is.”
If Mike Tomlin doesn’t know who his quarterback is moving forward, then that’s a bigger problem. But there’s no doubt he knows that Wilson is the guy, especially after his performance against the Jets.
Though things started off rocky, Wilson shook off the rust and played well down the stretch in the blowout win, hitting some deep shots down the field to George Pickens and Calvin Austin III. He even hit Van Jefferson for a touchdown, elevating the offense overall.
While Wilson was dealing in the passing game, it opened up the run game for Najee Harris, who had 102 rushing yards in the win. Tomlin went against the grain with the decision to put Wilson into the lineup despite the Steelers being 4-2 and winning with Justin Fields. But the move was a great one for the veteran head coach, who wanted to get a look at what he had in Wilson, and now knows that he’s in good shape at the QB position.
For the first time in a long time, it feels like the Steelers have their answer at quarterback. Tomlin has confidence in the position once again, too, having that proven veteran leader who plays with great confidence and leadership.
