Will the Steelers turn to Russell Wilson after Justin Fields drops two games?
So…listen guys. Where are we? I mean where are we really? Is Justin Fields the Steelers’ quarterback, or is he keeping Russell Wilson’s seat warm? How is Wilson’s calf feeling after watching Fields lose two games?
Now, technically, Justin Fields led the Steelers to a comeback last night. He threw a go-ahead touchdown on a shovel pass to Pat Freiermuth with five minutes left. The defense then gave up the game-winning score. But the offense only managed 17 points. With Wilson on the bench, the Steelers have scored under 20 points 60 percent of the time this season.
The Steelers are supposed to hold teams to under 20 points, but they also need the offense to be able to hold up when the defense isn’t doing what it needs to do. Does Russell Wilson running the offense give them a better shot at that than Justin Fields?
Fields brings a lot of things to the table that we wouldn’t see from Wilson. We have seen how effective his running ability can be, for example, including scrambling to make throws downfield. Wilson has some mobility, more than any Steelers quarterback has had in a long time other than Joshua Dobbs, but it’s not at Fields’ level.
Even if we assume Wilson is better than Fields, that doesn’t magically fix the Steelers’ offensive issues. The offensive line is still trying to come together, and the run game is only effective in fits and starts. As for the passing game, could Wilson help to ignite that aspect if they can protect him?
And that’s the other factor here as well: can Russell Wilson protect himself? I mean, it has been a month since he aggravated his calf injury, so in theory, he should be nearing some level of playing ability. The Steelers have already lost their grip on the division, so they have to make a decision. Do they want to keep finding out more about Justin Fields? Or do they want to turn to the guy they named their starter for a reason? Did Fields prove anything more than the fact that he is a good backup?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
