When the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Justin Fields, there was much excitement surrounding his potential. He didn’t pan out with the Chicago Bears, but there were flashes of stardom from him. He did look good with the Steelers, but ultimately, Mike Tomlin felt Russell Wilson gave them a better chance to win. It’s tough to say that was the wrong decision, too. However, former NFL safety Kerry Rhodes believes the Steelers would be no different if Fields kept the starting job.
“I think they’re still in the same position if they have Justin Fields,” Rhodes said recently on his show on FOX Sports Radio. “I’m not saying they’re sacrificing the playoff spot. I’m saying the way they play complementary football, Justin Fields can do the same thing.
“I think there is a bigger upside of the talent because Justin Fields is younger. He can extend plays, and he can run, and he can do certain things that you can do to add to that mix. It’s just a little bit extra.”
It’s fair to say that Fields’ athleticism gives him a boost that Wilson doesn’t have. That’s probably part of why the Steelers have struggled more in the red zone with Wilson starting. Fields’ mobility gave them an added threat with the field shortened.
However, it wasn’t like Fields played perfectly. There were reasons Tomlin decided to go with Wilson. Almost immediately, it felt like Wilson raised the Steelers’ floor. His deep ball and ability to read a defense improved the Steelers’ offense. There are numbers to back that up, too.
With Fields starting, the Steelers averaged a little over 20 points per game. With Wilson, they’re averaging almost 24 points per game. That doesn’t seem like a massive increase, but that number is slightly skewed because of how awful the Steelers have been over their last three games. Before that, Wilson had the Steelers’ offense firing on all cylinders.
The last few ugly performances cannot be ignored, and they’re probably part of why Rhodes feels this way, but disregarding the other games Wilson started would be unfair. Would Fields have performed any better throughout this three-game stretch? Although he’s played well, he still had shortcomings as a passer.
Fields has an upside because of his age, but this year, Wilson has given the Steelers more. Look at the way he’s unlocked George Pickens. Fields’ arm isn’t weak, but his accuracy and touch weren’t as good as Wilson’s. Letting a rough patch erase all the good Wilson has done would be a mistake.
