Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has often been non-commital about the Steelers starting quarterback this season, only naming Justin Fields the guy with veteran Russell Wilson sidelined. With Wilson now cleared to play, there’s plenty of debate regarding who should be the Steelers starting quarterback.
Wilson would conceivably offer more consistency for the passing game. After throwing for 213 yards in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Fields has failed to clear 145 yards in either of the last two weeks. Speaking to the sporadic play he brings to the passing game, Fields has completed just 56.9% of his passes and averaged 5.4 yards per attempt over that span.
- Justin Fields stats (ESPN): 1,106 pass yards, 5-1 TD-INT, 66.3% completion rate, 6.9 ypa, 231 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns
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Wilson has slowly been working his way back from a calf injury that sidelined him for more than a month. He recently received first-team reps this week and there have been NFL rumors that Wilson is in line to be the Steelers starting quarterback in Week 7.
However, as noted by Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Wilson has shown a lack of mobility throughout practice and that’s significantly limiting his ability to evade pressure and get out of sacks. Tomlin even acknowledged that starting Wilson would be a downgrade in terms of pocket management. Meanwhile, it seems clear who the locker room prefers as its starter.
On a recent episode of The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast, senior NFL reporter Dianna Russini shared that the Steelers locker room has rallied around Fields.
“From everything that I’ve been told, Justin Fields has won over the locker room, he’s won over the coaching staff. He’s the guy that they all want to play for.”
Dianna Russini on who the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room wants to be the starting QB
Fields is bringing a new element to the Steelers offense with his rushing ability and the team is 5-2 with his help this season. While Tomlin has publicly backed Wilson since he was acquired, the veteran quarterback is perceived to have less upside as a starter.
Based on the level of support Fields has in the locker room, even if he loses the job temporarily, he’ll likely reclaim his role as the Steelers starting quarterback before long. Though, Wilson could win the locker room over if Pittsburgh wins even more games with him.
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