Though it’s been the NFL’s worst-kept secret since Tuesday, Ian Rapoport is reporting on X that Russell Wilson is expected to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback for Sunday night’s Week 7 game against the New York Jets. Justin Fields will be the No. 2 QB, though it sounds like both will be playing.
“The Steelers are planning to start QB Russell Wilson on Sunday, as Wilson is finally healthy,” Rapoport wrote. “Expect both QBs to play, but Wilson is expected to play the bulk of snaps.”
The outcome comes as little surprise given media reporting throughout the week and beat writers observing Russell Wilson taking first-team reps and working ahead of Fields during drills during practice. It will mark Wilson’s debut as a Steeler.
Named the team’s starting quarterback ahead of Week 1, Wilson aggravated a summer calf injury and missed the first five weeks while rehabbing. During that period, he worked in a limited fashion during practice and served as the No. 3/emergency quarterback. He began practicing fully ahead of the Steelers’ Week 6 game versus the Las Vegas Raiders and was elevated to the No. 2 spot behind Fields.
During his Tuesday press conference, Tomlin said Wilson was being “considered” to start but would not officially commit to either player. On Wednesday, Tomlin said any decisions would be kept “in-house.”
Fields played well during the first six games, throwing five touchdowns to one interception while leading the team with five additional rushing scores. But he struggled through the air against the Raiders, finishing with just 145 yards while completing under 60 percent of his passes. Some believe there was nothing he could’ve done to hold onto the starting job.
This will be Wilson’s first regular season game since Christmas Eve of 2023. He’ll face a difficult Jets defense that’s allowed no more than 23 points in each of their last five games. They rank top-ten in many statistical categories: 2nd in points allowed, tied-4th in sacks, 7th in yards allowed, and ninth in rushing yards per carry. Last season, Wilson threw for 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with the Denver Broncos.
After acquiring WR Davante Adams, the Jets are slight favorites over the Steelers despite being the road team and sitting at 2-4 compared to Pittsburgh’s 4-2 record.
