It feels like every former coach, general manager, player, and quarterback in the league shared the same opinion this week about rolling with Justin Fields in Week 7 after a 4-2 start for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin is zigging when everybody else is zagging and appears to be in line to start Russell Wilson.
The Athletic’s NFL insider, Dianna Russini, says the New York Jets are happy about the news.
“The Jets are happy about the news. They know Wilson will be knocking off rust and may even be dealing with some nerves. He’s getting his first start as a Steelers in primetime, at home…It’s a gamble,” Russini wrote via The Athletic. “Wilson, a former Super Bowl winner and nine-time Pro Bowl selection, has been a different player since being traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos in 2022; his swag is at an all-time low.”
There is a running narrative about Wilson that began to form his final year with the Seahawks and certainly solidified during his disastrous stint with the Broncos. He has more or less been labeled a has-been or a washed-up version of a once-great player. That said, he still threw 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions in 2023 on a failing Broncos team. He led them to five straight regular season wins against the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, and Cleveland Browns. He knocked off four playoff teams during that stretch, including the eventual Super Bowl winner.
Meanwhile, Justin Fields was worse than Wilson in 2023 with the Chicago Bears and has notably improved in a better situation with the Steelers. Why isn’t Wilson getting the same benefit of the doubt that a better situation will lead to better results? He has one of the top defenses in the league to take pressure off him and a run game that is waiting to break out once balance can be restored with a viable and efficient passing game. The Steelers aren’t going to ask him to play hero ball like he may have been asked to do in Denver at times.
I get that the Jets may be happy about facing a quarterback with some rust, and that very well could be the case, but Mike Tomlin was pleased enough with what he saw at practice to go against the grain and start Wilson. He wouldn’t just do that because of some promise made to a $1.21 million QB back in March or because of a conditional draft pick that could increase in value if Fields continues to play. He is doing this because he believes it could give the team their best chance to win.
I don’t know that I have ever seen a future Hall of Fame quarterback written off so quickly. It was only a few years ago that people were talking about Russell Wilson possibly winning MVP.
Some people see a rusty quarterback, but I see a motivated one. Which version will we see on Sunday?
