All signs point to the Pittsburgh Steelers pivoting to QB Russell Wilson to start Sunday night’s game against the New York Jets. Heck, WR George Pickens came out and said it on Friday after practice. So despite being 4-2 as the starter for the Steelers, Justin Fields is headed to the bench. And no one is saying that Fields has been perfect by any stretch of the imagination.
But who is calling the shots here? Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has been adamant all along that this is head coach Mike Tomlin’s decision, not his. And it doesn’t take a whole lot of reading between the lines to see that Smith has greatly appreciated what Fields has done both in practice and on game day.
So is there trouble brewing in Pittsburgh? When the Steelers hired Smith, he spoke glowingly about working with Tomlin. But how does he feel now?
“It feels like Mike Tomlin, like promises were made to Russell Wilson,” said Colin Cowherd on Friday’s episode of the Herd. “It feels like Mike Tomlin is kind of usurping the power of Arthur Smith. I don’t know that, but it feels like it. Arthur Smith already publicly backed Justin Fields. He had a good second half against the Colts. They’re 4-2, they’re not 2-4. There’s no reason to panic. But it feels like a promise was made to Russell Wilson and Mike Tomlin’s a man of his word. So when you have two very so-so quarterbacks, you have a divided room, a divided staff, and divided decisions.”
People have certainly looked sideways at this situation because of the fact that the Steelers are switching quarterbacks despite being 4-2. Similar moves have happened before, even here in Pittsburgh. The Steelers benched Joe Gilliam at 4-1-1 in 1974 for Terry Bradshaw. The Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl that year and became a dynasty.
Now no one is expecting that Russell Wilson is going to have the same effect that Terry Bradshaw did. But it’s not completely unprecedented. It’s just not something that occurs with any regularity.
And that’s part of why Cowherd is suggesting that Tomlin is doing this because of a promise made to Wilson. But there are reasons to fathom such a move, too. The Steelers are averaging 20.7 points per game, 21st in the league. That comes after scoring 32 points against the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. The Steelers’ mark of five passing touchdowns ranks 27th in the league.
But whether this is the right move or not isn’t at the heart of what Cowherd is saying. It’s who is making the move. It’s who is for it and who is against it.
Is Arthur Smith on board with Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback? Or is Mike Tomlin ignoring his hand-picked offensive coordinator and unilaterally making this move? And if so, could this lead to a fractured coaching staff and locker room?
Now, as head coach of the Steelers, Tomlin should have the final say. He has the authority in the locker room and on the field. But he hired Smith. He shouldn’t have if he didn’t value and appreciate his input and football acumen. Good leaders hire good people and listen to them. Is he here?
To Justin Fields’ credit, he’s saying all the right things and taking responsibility for the lack of high-end offensive production. And the rest of the Steelers players publicly are saying the right things, too. But how is the locker room handling it? Are there players who are standing behind Fields? And are there players who have been stumping for Wilson as soon as he was healthy?
As for Smith, I have no doubt that he is going about everything professionally and designing the best game plan he can for Wilson to beat the Jets. But if he feels like his input is being overlooked, that his authority on the offensive side of the ball is being “usurped,” that’s going to be a long-term problem.
The Steelers’ quarterback situation has been under a microscope since Russell Wilson signed this offseason. But on Sunday night, it might just be under an electron microscope. So will Mike Tomlin, Russell Wilson, and Arthur Smith.
Will we see cracks and fissures under the bright lights? Or will the Steelers come together? Only time will tell.
