Russell Wilson could start for the Steelers in Week 7, but would benching Justin Fields be the right move?

The inevitable happened in Pittsburgh.

Russell Wilson has spent weeks recovering from a calf injury Taking over from first team representatives ahead of the Steelers’ upcoming game against the New York Jets. The veteran will share this practice footage with Justin Fields, who helped lead the Steelers to a 4-2 start while Wilson was on the mend.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin did not name a starting quarterback for Sunday night, saying the quality of practices this week will determine that. Basically, if Wilson shows enough in training, he will start for the first time this season. If he doesn’t, Fields will continue to lead Pittsburgh’s offense for at least another week.

As expected, there are differing opinions on who should start against the Jets.

Bryan DeArdo, an NFL writer for CBS who has covered the Steelers in some capacity since 2015, believes Fields should start Sunday night’s game. In contrast, Cody Benjamin, a veteran NFL writer for CBS Sports who covered a similar quarterback battle in Philadelphia circa 2017, believes it’s time for Wilson to take advantage of his opportunity.

The split sides sparked an email chain between the two authors in which both made their arguments:

By: Bryan DeArdo
Re: Here’s who should start compared to the Jets

Hello Cody,

I completely understand your opinion on Russell Wilson and why starting him on Sunday night makes sense. But there are countless reasons why Justin Fields should keep Wilson on the bench this week.

Let’s start with the fact that Fields has played a pretty big role in Pittsburgh’s 4-2 start. He gets the ball in the end zone (he has scored 10 total touchdowns so far) and does a largely good job of controlling the ball with only one interception so far. Why bother with a good thing if you don’t have to?

When it comes to comparing quarterbacks, Fields’ mobility gives him a distinct advantage over Wilson. He leads the Steelers with five touchdown runs and is second on the team in rushing. Some of these plays were intentional, while others were the byproduct of Fields’ elite athleticism. If Fields is out, a decent portion of the Steelers’ offense will remain with him.

By: Cody Benjamin
Re: Re: Here’s who should start compared to the Jets

Bryan, my good man,

There is no doubt that Fields has fared well. I think it’s far better than many expected, at least in terms of ball control. And I don’t even think it’s unreasonable to assume he’ll be the Steelers’ best option in the long run.

But I would politely repeat Mike Tomlin’s words from this week: “Justin was really good, and we were 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 was and more about what Russ could be.

We knowledge the Steelers may Win with this version of Fields. But when you also have a veteran with an exponentially larger resume as a proven downfield passer, why not take a look at what you have in him before boxing in against the guy who’s going to be on the bench at the start of the season anyway should?

By: Bryan DeArdo
Re: Re: Here’s who should start compared to the Jets

Tomlin’s quote was an appropriate response and highlights perhaps the biggest argument for Wilson. Fields and the offense were good, but the Steelers had been “good” 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 made even worse when you consider the current issues the Steelers face on offense.

Bad luck would be better from a health perspective than the bad luck the Steelers offensive line has endured this year. Fields, as mobile as he is, was unable to avoid several big hits in the first six weeks of the season. The offensive line’s difficulties are compounded by a receiving corps that far too often struggles to get open, leading to the quarterback holding the ball longer and exposing themselves to penalties.

How will the Steelers protect Wilson if they have a hard time keeping Fields clean at all?

By: Cody Benjamin
Re: Re: Here’s who should start compared to the Jets

Fair questions. Wilson certainly isn’t as spry as he once was, and Tomlin was quick to admit that Fields is superior in terms of athleticism. But there’s kind of a bittersweet reality to the entire Fields offense right now, even with that rushing ability.

For example, his physical characteristics suggest he is could is so much more – a true dual threat – and yet when he’s been “unleashed” in the past, like with the Chicago Bears, he’s been a turnover machine. Now, you can’t blame Fields for probably doing everything the Steelers asked, essentially backing himself into a corner except for urgent fight situations. But how long can they play this game, require him to walk the line between “playing it safe” and “pushing the ball to improve an otherwise mediocre setup” and expect to stay in the win column? Wilson may be more prone to sacks, but even in his slow and unconventional years with the Denver Broncos, he showed elite talent when it came to hitting the ball and stretching the field.

Consider this too, because teams knowledge The Steelers want Fields to simply control the ball and lean on his legs. It’s almost guaranteed that they’ll continue to set up congested fronts, crowd the box and expect the run, whereas with Wilson there would at least be a built-in threat of more routine downfield hits.

By: Bryan DeArdo
Re: Re: Here’s who should start compared to the Jets

This is a very valid point. No, the Steelers can’t expect to win like this forever. They need more from their offense, and that includes the quarterback position.

However, Fields has shown growth every week, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t make further progress if the Steelers keep him in the lineup. Fields is not the same player he was in Week 1, and it’s safe to assume he won’t be the same player he currently is in a month.

Finally, I want to take a look at the Steelers’ upcoming schedule. The Steelers face the Jets and their strong defense on Sunday evening. Eight days later, they will host the Giants in prime time before heading into their bye. They then face Jayden Daniels and the Commanders on the road in Week 10.

Given the evolution of their game plan, wouldn’t it make more sense to start Fields on Sunday night and, depending on how the game goes, start Wilson before the bye week against the Giants? That would give Wilson another week of preparation time for the first-team offense, a possible start against an easier opponent, and a release week that would give him even more time to get acclimated 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.

By: Cody Benjamin
Re: Re: Here’s who should start compared to the Jets

Bryan, I’m pleasantly surprised that you mentioned the schedule because that’s exactly where I wanted to go next. I think your suggestion is very fair and gives you the best of both worlds: give Fields a chance to completely take over the job against a legitimate defense, while also preparing for the very real possibility of a subsequent week-long Wilson test run.

The only possible problem: Wilson finally appears to be fully healthy and ready at the moment. Not next week. Now. Maybe he and Fields wouldn’t publicly complain, but from a visual standpoint, starting Fields against the Jets would essentially mean declaring him the “guy” over Wilson. Which is fine if that’s what they want. But it is clear not which Tomlin is willing to do. And you can see why: If you name Fields No. 1 now, pick him as a “known commodity” over the benefits of Wilson’s passing game, and then immediately replace Fields when he struggles against the Jets, then you’ve tarnished it an already murky dynamic.

Is it just as risky to demote him for Wilson? Perhaps. But the transition between quarterbacks could 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 serious defense, one against a less-than-reputable team — that you can take into Week 9, where you have another full week to reassess the bigger picture: Wilson’s two games against Fields’ Six. If these two weeks prove that Wilson isn’t the right fit, or if Wilson falters tremendously after the bye, no one would bat an eyelid if you went back to Fields, who has shown he can at least do enough to keep you competitive.

Ultimately, I don’t think we completely disagree here. The fact that this argument even exists highlights the delicate nature of the situation; There is no obvious right answer, otherwise the Steelers would have proudly made the decision by now. And whatever they decide, I would be surprised if we don’t see Wilson at some point this season. Why? Because if you want to win playoff games and not just hang around with wild cards, at some point you’re going to have to win through the air. And we haven’t seen the Steelers actually allow Fields to try that yet.

From a larger perspective, I think Pittsburgh’s problem has more to do with philosophy and infrastructure and less to do with these two quarterbacks. They didn’t build the offense/receivers for today’s NFL. They still rely heavily on run and defense. They have that needed Fields should be what he was. And now they’re probably hoping Wilson can be that and then some. Either way, it’s a gamble. And either way, there’s a good chance they’ll hit the reset button on both options later, unless Tomlin’s bravery and physical defense take the entire operation to the next level.

Until then, let’s enjoy the ride. And thanks for the chat, Bryan!