Russell Wilson may finally make his debut as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback in Week 7 against the New York Jets. During his weekly press conference Tuesday, Mike Tomlin refused to definitively name a starter for this Sunday, but he added that Russell Wilson is “in consideration” for this week now that he’s fully healthy. If Wilson starts on Sunday, then he’s really being thrown into the fire in a primetime matchup against a talented Jets defense. He’ll need to knock off any rust as quickly as possible if the Steelers are going to maintain their current standing as a playoff team.
Former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, a teammate of Russell Wilson’s in Seattle, discussed the news of Wilson potentially starting in Week 7 on his podcast Tuesday.
“I’d be fine with this if it was sooner. Six games into the season, now seven. It’s just so much going on for Russ. But I believe in Tomlin, I trust Tomlin. I have no right to question his decision making. I think he’s making it based on things he saw in film, things he saw in practice, the game tape, what he saw from Justin Fields,” Sherman said on The Richard Sherman Podcast. “Maybe he thinks Russell Wilson can get more from out of this offense than Justin Fields. My concern with it is the rust factor. Getting up to game speed is something that is real, it’s significant.
“It’s going to take [Russell Wilson] a second to get back to the speed of the game. Taking real game reps, taking hits, being able to be quick and decisive with the ball. They’re a 4-2 team sitting pretty comfortably, so maybe that’s why Mike Tomlin felt like he has a little bit of cushion, and he can make this decision.”
Richard Sherman is a reliable source when it comes to Russell Wilson. They played together for six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks from 2012-2017, and they were both key pieces on the 2014 Super Bowl-winning team. But Russell Wilson isn’t the same quarterback that he was when he played with Sherman. In the very least, he probably won’t be generating 30-plus rushing yards per game like he did for the majority of his time in Seattle. Wilson showed some signs of aging in his two seasons with the Denver Broncos, which led to him and his bloated contract getting released and Russell Wilson signing with the Steelers in March
Russell Wilson’s been with the Steelers all offseason, but with his calf injury continually popping up, he hasn’t actually had that many reps at game speed. Appearing in just two preseason games, Wilson went 10-of-12 for 73 yards with no touchdowns. It’s safe to say that he’ll be a bit rusty since the 35 year-old Wilson hasn’t played a complete NFL game since Week 15 of the 2023 season.
Wilson still has a rocket of an arm, and he’s certainly reached a higher peak than Justin Fields has so far in his career. But starting him for the first time all season against a hungry, desperate New York Jets team would be a bold decision that could backfire. Ultimately, as Sherman said, we have no right to question Tomlin’s decision-making based on his track record. Just last season, Tomlin’s decision to stick with Mason Rudolph as the starting quarterback down the stretch enabled the Steelers to squeak into the playoffs. If Tomlin rolls with Wilson, then it’s because he truly believes that the nine-time Pro Bowler will give them a better chance to win the game.
After all, Wilson wasn’t brought in to be a backup all season, and he’s got one shiny Super Bowl ring to his name.
