The offseason is here for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they’re once again faced with a huge question mark at quarterback. Neither Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields are under contract for next season, and it’s unclear if the Steelers will re-sign either of them. Mike Tomlin showed confidence in Wilson when he named him the starter after Fields had the Steelers sitting at 4-2. Not everyone loved that decision, though. Former NFL offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth was one of those people, and it sounds like he feels justified in that take now.
“I had that take because I thought the Pittsburgh Steelers were limited,” Whitworth said recently on his Fitz and Whit podcast. “I do believe that. Mr. Unlimited, whatever, they’re limited. So, in my opinion, what is the best way for us to win going forward?
“Possess the football, run it well, play great defense. That was my take. And let Justin Fields grow into the position throughout the year and develop confidence. Here’s the reality, yes, he brought a spark, Russell [Wilson] did. But seven out of 12 games while he was playing, they had less than 20 points scored.”
Mr. Unlimited is one of Wilson’s nicknames, and he didn’t exactly live up to that title this year. Wilson did give the Steelers some juice after he initially took over for Fields in Week 7, but things got worse as time went on.
Whitworth is correct that the Steelers’ offense underperformed in many of Wilson’s starts. He wasn’t awful, but he did make too many mistakes. That includes ugly turnovers and poor game awareness. Part of that could be attributed to George Pickens missing three games with an injury, but even after he was back, Wilson didn’t return to the heights he started at with the Steelers.
Wilson wasn’t the only issue with the Steelers’ offense, but it’s fair to say that he did limit them. It felt like he was only hitting deep shots or checkdowns. There was little rhythm to their offense. Perhaps Fields could’ve given them more stability.
Looking at how they both performed, Fields did have more issues as a passer than Wilson. However, maybe Fields’ athleticism could’ve given the Steelers a more dangerous run game. They were more efficient in the red zone with him than Wilson. Both quarterbacks have flaws, though.
The Steelers went with Wilson, and there’s no changing that now. However, perhaps they’ll give Whitworth’s idea a shot in 2025. The Steelers could re-sign Fields and not Wilson. If they do that, we could see what a fuller season with Fields as the starter looks like. It might lead to much of the same results, but it could also be different. It does seem like Wilson isn’t a long-term option. Mr. Unlimited he is not.
