The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 2-0 under quarterback Justin Fields. Though Russell Wilson was named the starter before the season, injuries have kept him off the field thus far. The hope was that Wilson would have been healthy enough to start in Week 3, but the team is “readying itself” for Fields to remain the starter instead, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.
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#Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced that the plan is for QB Justin Fields again to be his starting QB.
The team is “readying itself” for Fields, while Russell Wilson (calf) won’t be a full participant just yet. “We’ll stay in that mindset until something happens.” pic.twitter.com/PYmPotJaKz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 17, 2024
The Steelers are clearly taking a safer approach with Wilson so that he will be fully ready to go if and when he heals from the calf injury that has been lingering since training camp. The issue with this is that if Fields continues to string wins together in Wilson’s absence, will Tomlin make the decision to keep Fields under center?
The Steelers have beaten the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos so far. Granted, both teams are not necessarily at the top of the pecking order of the NFL — but the Falcons are starting to look more legit.
The big test for the Steelers will be this weekend, as they are set to face off against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers have dominated both of their opponents so far, and are looking like they might make a lot of noise in the AFC.
Despite the Chargers being 2-0, they have also not played a quality opponent just yet. Enter the Steelers. One team will walk off the field 3-0, and it could lead to more conversations about which team is looking like playoff and Super Bowl contenders.
Fields has the opportunity to lock in the starting role against the Chargers. If he can put together another solid performance, especially against this tough Chargers defense, Tomlin might have no choice but to replace Wilson.
Wilson was not the worst quarterback in 2023, though he fell out of favor with Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton. Wilson ended 2023 with 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
There is no denying that Wilson is still a proven veteran, and that might be the biggest reason why Tomlin is still not ready to name Fields the starter moving forward without allowing Wilson a chance to play.
The good news is if Wilson finally returns to action and does not live up to expectations, he can be benched in lieu of Fields.
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Fields has been decent in his first two games. Week 1 saw the former Bears quarterback put up 156 yards and a 73.9 completion percentage. Week 2 led to Fields securing 117 yards and his first passing touchdown of 2024.
Despite lower numbers, Fields continues to find ways to help the Steelers win games. That detail cannot be overlooked when Tomlin comes to a decision about who will start when Wilson is healthy.
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