The worst-kept secret in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ building is that Russell Wilson is going to start this week. Mike Tomlin has been playing coy, but all the signs are pointing to Wilson starting. It’s unfortunate for Justin Fields, who hasn’t really done anything wrong, but that’s the nature of the NFL. Still, Wilson seems to appreciate what Fields has done for the Steelers while he was hurt.
“I think Justin [Fields] has done a great job,” Wilson said Thursday via r93.7 The Fan on Twitter. “He’s a tremendous quarterback. I’ve gone against him over the years. He’s a tremendous football player, great teammate.”
Obviously, Wilson was never going to come out and speak negatively about Fields, but it’s good to see him delivering some praise. Even though the two of them have been in a competition, it’s never felt like there was any animosity between them. They’ve seemed to work pretty closely together, putting the team first.
Fields seemed slightly dejected when speaking about his possible benching, but no one else has had anything other than good things to say about him. Coaches, teammates, and even Wilson, his biggest competitor, have spoken glowingly about the job he has done. That probably won’t make the ultimate decision sting any less, but it should tell him he’ll have more opportunities in the future.
It feels like Tomlin wants to go with the veteran in Wilson, so that may explain the change. It’s not like Fields played his way out of the job. He has 10 total touchdowns and only two turnovers. He’s got some growing to do as a passer, but he was already taking steps forward. It felt like the Steelers could win with him. That’s as opposed to Wilson, who is more of a question mark.
At the end of the day, the Steelers’ offense just hasn’t been good enough. The Steelers put up 32 points against the Las Vegas Raiders, but that was more about defense and special teams providing the offense with opportunities. They still started slowly in that game too. Fields wasn’t the sole reason, but there were times where he wasn’t helping.
Perhaps Wilson is the answer to all the Steelers’ problems on offense. It’s unlikely, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Their next opponent, the New York Jets, have a fantastic defense, so don’t be surprised if the Steelers have another middling offensive day. Things will be easier to evaluate after this game. For now, Fields shouldn’t lose any confidence. Like Wilson said, he’s done a great job.
