The Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly have a quarterback controversy on their hands. Despite Russell Wilson being named the starter, Justin Fields played in Week 1 after Wilson was ruled out with a calf issue. It wasn't pretty, but Fields made plays when he needed to, and the Steelers left Atlanta with a 18-10 victory. If Fields can develop and need fewer restrictions on how aggressive he can be, he could eventually light it up for the Steelers, as they will spend the week deciding on who will play in Week 2.
Sebastian Foltz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson in 2024 OTA practice
Despite all that, Chris Hoke mentioned on 93.7 The Fan that the starting quarterback for their upcoming game against the Denver Broncos has already been chosen.
Chris Hoke: “Russell Wilson starts against Denver. No question about it.”
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) September 8, 2024
Mike Tomlin was very dismissive about Fields' play. Fields didn't have the best numbers, and his first drive was very rough, but once he settled in, he turned into an effective dual-threat quarterback that didn't put the ball in any sort of danger. He wasn't very flashy, but he did what he needed to do in order to secure the win, as the defense did the rest.
Steelers.com
Steelers' QB Justin Fields taking the field in Acrisure Stadium for his first time in the back and gold.
Steelers Shouldn't Ignore Fields' Week 1 Performance
The Steelers have been open about how they want to treat Fields like a prospect, but after the game that he had, is that really the best option? Him and George Pickens started developing a strong chemistry, and it showed throughout the game, especially on a clutch 33-yard pass and catch to set up a field goal try before halftime. If Fields can continue working on stuff like that with his other receivers, he could potentially break out.
Wilson was named the starting quarterback due to his veteran leadership and experience. He has seen and done nearly everything that one can in their NFL career. The Steelers brought him to take care of the ball, decipher what the defense was showing, and take whatever was given to him without being too risky. That was their plan, except that was exactly what Fields did to open up the season. He did what Wilson was supposed to do, and he has a much higher upside.
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Former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (#3) scrambles out of the pocket.
The Steelers will play the Broncos in Week 2, which would be a revenge game for Wilson. He spent the previous two seasons as their starter, and issues with him and Head Coach Sean Payton resulted in his release. It wouldn't make sense for the Steelers to just have Wilson start in this matchup and immediately bench him after that, but he will be expected to play his best game of the season against the team that cut him and insulted him on his way out.
At very least, Fields should be strongly considered for the starting job. Wilson got most of the work in with the first-team offense during the week. If Fields can be efficient and make good decisions while mostly working with backups, he could be much more confident after working with the starters. The revenge game storyline doesn't mean anything if Wilson is not the better quarterback. Whether or not he is still to be determined, but giving a guy with higher upside the ball isn't the worst idea.
Tomlin's stubbornness can sometimes get the best of him, and if he truly did make the decision on benching Fields for Week 2 right after the game, then that can only hurt his development. It was obvious that he wasn't a fan of what he saw from his comments in the post-game press conference, but he displayed the talent that made him a first-round pick, as well as maturity in the pocket and more refined mechanics.
What do you think about Tomlin possibly having Wilson start in Week 2 over Fields? Let us know in the comments below!
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