Who will be the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback when they face the New York Jets next Sunday night? Will it be Justin Fields who has started all six games so far this season? Or will it be Russell Wilson, the man head coach Mike Tomlin named as the starter before he suffered a calf injury in the lead-up to Week 1?
Tomlin certainly opened the door for making the switch, saying Wilson is “in consideration” to start. But does making the switch to the veteran solve all of the offensive issues the Steelers are facing? Or does it create new ones? Count ESPN’s Mina Kimes among those who think this move could hurt part of the offense.
“This is already a run game that’s been very up and down this year. We’ve talked about it,” said Kimes on ESPN’s NFL Live Tuesday. “Switching to Russell Wilson hurts your run game… Because of what Justin Fields brings to the table as a runner. The way defenses, linebackers have to respect him as a threat that helps the run. Russell Wilson, unfortunately, he doesn’t have the same mobility that he had earlier in his career.”
“Switching to Russell Wilson hurts your run game.”@MinaKimes on why the Steelers should keep Justin Fields at QB1 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/eWn7rg3mN7
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 15, 2024
As Kimes said, the Steelers’ run game has not been consistent. It’s been more of a roller coaster than the battering ram the team would want. RB Najee Harris had his best game by far on Sunday versus the Las Vegas Raiders. He finished the game with 14 carries for 106 yards, his first 100-yard rushing day of the season. And he finally found the end zone on a 36-yard run, his first touchdown of the season.
In fact, it was the Steelers’ first rushing touchdown of the season not scored by Fields. Fields found the end zone twice against the Raiders, bringing his rushing touchdown total to five this season. He’s second on the team in carries and yards (55 carries for 231 yards to Harris’ 96 rushes for 376 yards).
And Tomlin knows all this. He’s even said that the offense may need to change because of the difference in the two quarterbacks’ mobility. So it’s easy to see why Kimes and others would be concerned about how the switch to Russell Wilson could negatively impact the run game. And that’s especially odd considering how important the run game is to Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Perhaps Tomlin feels Russell Wilson’s veteran savvy and winning experience will help boost the passing game despite the lack of high-end playmakers. But his mobility will certainly remove a big part of the Steelers’ run game so far this season. The offensive line issues could result in a lot more quarterback hits and sacks with Wilson under center. That’s why former NFL G Damien Woody thinks it would be “a big mistake” for the Steelers to pivot to Wilson.
