The inevitable has happened in Pittsburgh.
After weeks of working his way back from a calf injury, Russell Wilson is taking first-team reps ahead of the Steelers' upcoming game against the New York Jets. The veteran is set to split those practice snaps with Justin Fields, who helped lead the Steelers to a 4-2 start while Wilson was on the mend.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin hasn't named a starting quarterback for Sunday night and said that the quality of this week's practices will determine that. Basically, if Wilson shows enough during practice, he will make his first start of the season. If he doesn't, Fields will continue to lead Pittsburgh's offense, at least for another week.
As expected, there are differing opinions regarding who should start against the Jets.
Bryan DeArdo, an NFL writer for CBS who has covered the Steelers in some capacity since 2015, feels that Fields should start Sunday night's game. Conversely, Cody Benjamin, a fellow veteran NFL writer for CBS Sports who covered a similar quarterback battle in Philadelphia circa 2017, believes it's time for Wilson to get his opportunity.
The split sides ignited an email chain between the two writers, with both making their cases:
From: Bryan DeArdo
Subject: Here's who should start vs. Jets
Hey Cody,
I completely understand your opinion on Russell Wilson and why starting him Sunday night makes sense. But there are a myriad of reasons why Justin Fields should keep Wilson on the bench this week.
Let's start with the fact that Fields has played a pretty large role in Pittsburgh's 4-2 start. He's getting the ball in the end zone (he has 10 total touchdowns so far) and is largely doing a great job taking care of the ball with just one interception so far. Why mess with a good thing if you don't have to?
As far as comparing quarterbacks, Fields' mobility gives him a definitive advantage over Wilson. He leads the Steelers with five touchdown runs and is second on the team in rushing. Some of those plays have come by design, while others were the byproduct of Fields' elite athleticism. If Fields is out, a decent chunk of the Steelers' offense leaves with him.
From: Cody Benjamin
Subject: Re: Here's who should start vs. Jets
Bryan, my good man,
There is no disputing that Fields has fared well. Far better, I think, than many anticipated, at least from a ball-control standpoint. And I don't even think it's unreasonable to suggest he'll end up being the best option for the Steelers down the stretch.
But I'd politely echo the words of Mike Tomlin from this week: "Justin has been really good, and we've been really good at times, but not to be confused with great. ... We're trying to position ourselves to be that team." This is less about what Fields has been, and more about what Russ could be.
We know the Steelers can win with this version of Fields. But if you've also got a veteran with an exponentially larger resume as a proven downfield passer, why not see what you have in him before boxing yourself into the guy who was supposed to start the season on the bench anyway?
From: Bryan DeArdo
Subject: Re: Here's who should start vs. Jets
Tomlin's quote was an appropriate response and highlights maybe the biggest argument for Wilson. Fields and the offense have been good, but the Steelers have been "good" for long enough. They're trying to be "that team" (also quoting Tomlin), and maybe Wilson can help them become that. There's no denying Wilson's accuracy and ability to score touchdowns in the red zone.
That being said, I don't think Wilson's strengths outweigh his potential weaknesses -- weaknesses that are exacerbated when you look at the current issues the Steelers are facing on offense.
Bad luck would be better than the luck the Steelers' offensive line has endured this year in terms of health. Fields, as mobile as he is, hasn't been able to avoid several big hits during the season's first six weeks. The offensive line's struggles are made worse by a receiving corps that far too often struggles to get open, resulting in the quarterback holding the ball longer and leaving himself open to punishment.
How will the Steelers protect Wilson when they struggle to even keep Fields clean?
From: Cody Benjamin
Subject: Re: Here's who should start vs. Jets
Fair questions. Wilson certainly isn't as spry as he once was, and Tomlin admitted straight-up that Fields is superior in terms of play-extending athleticism. But there's a kind of bittersweet reality to the entire Fields offense right now, even with that rushing ability.
His physical traits, for example, suggest he could be so much more -- a true dual threat -- and yet when he's been "unleashed" in the past, as he was with the Chicago Bears, he's been a turnover machine. Now, Fields can't be faulted for doing probably everything the Steelers have asked, essentially bottling himself up except for urgent scramble situations. But how long can they play this game, asking him to toe the line between playing it safe and pushing the ball to elevate an otherwise middling setup, and expect to stay in the win column? Wilson may well be more vulnerable to sacks, but even in his sluggish and off-kilter years with the Denver Broncos, he flashed elite touch when driving the ball and stretching the field.
Consider also that, because teams know the Steelers want Fields to simply control the ball and lean on his legs, they're almost guaranteed to keep ramping up overloaded fronts, crowding the box and expecting the run, whereas with Wilson, there'd at least be a built-in threat of more routine downfield shots.
From: Bryan DeArdo
Subject: Re: Here's who should start vs. Jets
That's a very fair point. No, the Steelers can't expect to continue to win like this forever. They need more from their offense, and that includes the quarterback position.
Fields, however, has displayed growth each week, and there's no reason to think that he won't continue to make strides if the Steelers keep him in the lineup. Fields isn't the same player he was back in Week 1, and it's a safe bet that he won't be the same player he currently is a month from now.
I'll make my final point by looking at the Steelers' upcoming schedule. The Steelers face the Jets and their tough defense Sunday night. They will then host the Giants eight days later on prime time before going into their bye. They'll then face Jayden Daniels and the Commanders on the road in Week 10.
Given how their schedule plays out, wouldn't it make more sense to start Fields on Sunday night, and, based on how that game goes, start Wilson against the Giants before the bye week? That would give Wilson another week of prep with the first-team offense, a possible start against an easier opponent and a bye week that would give him even more time to get comfortable before facing a tough opponent in their building. Another start on Sunday would also give Fields one last chance to show what he can do against a formidable team with a future Hall of Fame quarterback (Aaron Rodgers) on the other side of the field.
From: Cody Benjamin
Subject: Re: Here's who should start vs. Jets
Bryan, I am pleasantly surprised you brought up the schedule, because that's precisely where I was going to go next. I think your proposal is very fair, and gives you the best of both worlds: Give Fields a chance to full-on seize the job against a legitimate defense, while preparing for the very real possibility of a subsequent one-week Wilson test run.
The only potential issue: Wilson finally seems to be fully healthy, fully ready, right now. Not next week. Now. Maybe he and Fields wouldn't complain publicly, but from an optics standpoint, starting Fields against the Jets would essentially be declaring him "the guy" over Wilson. Which is fine, if that's what they want to do. But clearly it's not what Tomlin is ready to do. And you can see why: If you name Fields the No. 1 right now, choosing him as a "known commodity" over the upside of the Wilson passing game, and then bench Fields right away if he struggles against the Jets, you've muddied an already muddy dynamic.
Is demoting him for Wilson equally as risky? Perhaps. But the transition between quarterbacks might be more organic this way. Let's say you give Wilson the Jets game and the Giants game. That's two starts -- one against a legit defense, one against a less-than-legit team -- that you can take into the Week 9 bye, where you'd have another full week to reassess the whole picture: Wilson's two games versus Fields' six. If those two weeks prove Wilson isn't it, or Wilson falters mightily after the bye, no one would bat an eye if you turned back to Fields, who's shown he can at least do enough to keep you competitive.
At the end of the day, I don't think we're in stark disagreement here. The fact this argument even exists speaks to the tricky nature of the situation; there is no obviously right answer, or else the Steelers would've proudly made the call by now. And one way or another, whatever they decide, I'd be surprised if we didn't see Wilson at some point this season. Why? Because if you want to win playoff games and not just hang around the wild-card picture, you need to win through the air at some point. And we've yet to see the Steelers really allow Fields to try that.
From a bigger-picture perspective, I think Pittsburgh's issue has more to do with philosophy and infrastructure and less to do with these two quarterbacks. They haven't built the offense/receivers for the contemporary NFL. They still lean heavily on the run and defense. They've needed Fields to be the way he's been. And now they're probably hoping Wilson can be that, plus a bit more. Either way, it's a gamble. And either way, there's a decent chance they'll be hitting the reset button on both options down the road, unless Tomlin's bravado and physical defense take the entire operation to the next level.
Until then, let's enjoy the ride. And thanks for the conversation, Bryan!
