Justin Fields or Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. That has been the No. 1 storyline for the Pittsburgh Steelers this week, an endless debate that will continue if Wilson isn’t picture-perfect Sunday night against the New York Jets. But one beat writer thinks there could be a chance for Tomlin to avoid making a choice and have both on the field simultaneously.
Appearing on 93.7 The Fan Friday, Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly believes it’s a plausible scenario.
“If you think about it, if you could be able to switch those guys back and forth and not knowing if you’re gonna throw the ball and have one line up as a receiver, so to speak,” Kaboly told The Fan’s Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. “You have a lot of options to go with. I’m not quite sure if they’ll do that, but there’s definitely options around the goal line.”
We’ve certainly reached the “jump the shark” stage of the quarterback debate. The NFL precedent for a two-quarterback system is virtually non-existent since football was played on television. Perhaps in the old Single Wing days, when anyone in the backfield could be asked to throw the football, but not in a modern NFL. The only times it’s seen today are in pockets of the high school and college system.
The A-11 offense came alive in the late 2000s, a strategy created by an overmatched California high school team that made every player eligible and, in theory, able to catch the ball. A 2009 ESPN article breaks it down at its core form.
“Two quarterbacks lined up seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, where a three-man line (two tight ends and a center) was positioned. Three receivers then lined up on each side. Once the ball was snapped, six players, including both quarterbacks, were eligible receivers.
From there, anything was possible: laterals, screens, handoffs, reverses. And sometimes all on the same play. It was the spread on steroids. It was wilder than the Wildcat.”
That might be hard to conceptualize, so here’s a video showing highlights of the school running it.
The formation exploited a loophole in jersey eligibility, which was never possible at the NFL level. Eventually, it was banned at the high school level. But the basic idea of not type-casting players into their roles—passer, runner, receiver, and blocker—still lives on.
Tennessee Tech is currently using a two-quarterback system similar to what Kaboly suggests. A pocket passer and athlete, it’s had some success.
“The intent is to get the best players that we’ve got on the field,” Tech head coach Watson Brown told The Tennessean in September. “I could not see Jared Davis or Darian Stone sitting on the bench. I thought it was the best thing to do with the personnel that we had.”
Both quarterbacks line up behind center, and either is able to pass. It’s crazy, maybe a little desperate, but that’s where plenty of good football ideas come from.
Obviously, this is unlikely to occur for reasons that hardly need mentioning. However, the Steelers are in a unique situation with two capable, veteran quarterbacks. And if nothing else, it’s fun to see the creative ideas coaches come up with.
When the Miami Dolphins brought back the Wildcat, it seemed crazy, but now it is a bit part of many NFL offenses. And some desperate NFL team might try a two-quarterback system someday with the right personnel. Just don’t expect that to be Pittsburgh this weekend.
