It’s almost decision time for the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to who their starting quarterback will be. They’ve been able to ride with Justin Fields because Russell Wilson has been hurt, but that excuse isn’t valid anymore. Wilson is healthy, and he was originally named the starter. That leaves the Steelers in a tough spot because Fields has played well. Former NFL linebacker Kirk Morrison believes the Steelers could use both quarterbacks.
“This could be the first time we ever see a two-quarterback system in the NFL because, at some point, you have to see what Russell Wilson does give you,” Morrison said Monday on The Rich Eisen Show. “Now, he’s 100% at practice. He had a full practice last week. This is still one of those storylines that’s out there because Justin Fields has played okay. Not great, but not bad. He’s played okay.”
That’s a pretty bold prediction from Morrison, who played in the NFL from 2005 to 2012. There haven’t been too many recent, successful cases of teams using two quarterbacks at the same time, and there’s not a ton of precedent that says the Steelers would employ that strategy.
One of the most high-profile examples is when the Baltimore Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson but still began their season with Joe Flacco starting. They ran some plays on offense with packages designed for Jackson. That seemed like what the Steelers would do with Fields before Wilson got hurt, but it feels like Morrison is suggesting that Fields not be used as just a gadget player.
It would be interesting to see how that would work. Even when the Ravens used Flacco and Jackson, it felt like it built more support for Jackson to take over as the full-time starter. Would the Steelers rotate their quarterbacks every drive, just like they did with Mason McCormick and Spencer Anderson at guard? That doesn’t feel like a great idea.
It feels like the Steelers would be better off actually making a decision. Half-measures have gotten them nowhere this year. Neither Fields nor Wilson is going to be perfect. Not deciding and going with a quarterback rotation might be the worst option. Their offense already starts slowly and looks disjointed. Using two quarterbacks at the same time probably won’t help those issues.
