Benching Justin Fields for Russell Wilson would be a colossal mistake by Steelers

The Steelers had quite the news-heavy week one of the season. It was going to be a hectic week no matter what. The team had just completed one of the most notable overhauls in recent history, and the new quarterback room alone was headline news. The team was poised to start veteran Russell Wilson and have Justin Fields serve as the backup.

It was shocking to hear late last week that Wilson’s calf had popped back up as an issue. He quickly became a game-time decision and, as it turns out, the team didn’t deem him healthy enough to start. Fields got the nod, and following an offseason full of opportunity for him and after securing a win in week one, he needs to be the starter moving forward.

Why the Steelers can’t look back

Make no mistake, Fields was far from perfect on Sunday. Early in the game, he looked lost, missing a wide-open Van Jefferson and looking generally uncomfortable in the pocket. Once he calmed down and the offense adjusted to him being at the helm though, Fields looked a lot better.

His accuracy, specifically his deep ball accuracy was on point, and he was his usual threat on the ground as a runner. Most importantly, Fields didn’t let the slow start impact his entire game. He shook off the poor early drives and eventually commanded the team effectively.

In all honestly, based on the game plan we just saw, what would Wilson have done better against Atlanta? The scheme was conservative and designed around the run, particularly the quarterback run. It isn’t like Wilson was going to throw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns in that game. He may have made an extra play here or there but the result wouldn’t have been that different from what Fields did.

Add in the fact that with Wilson nursing an injury for most of training camp, Fields got plenty of reps with the first team and looked the part in week one. The scheme needs to adjust and allow him to take more shots, but for the first game, Fields looked on par, if not better, than what Wilson would have done. Had he crumbled under the pressure it would have been one thing, but Fields rose to the occasion.

So why should the Steelers go back to Wilson then? They have very little invested in him in terms of money, and he is at the end of his career given his age and regression. Fields has the potential to be around for the long term if he can show improvement from his Chicago struggles.

Besides his draft compensation going from a sixth-round pick to a fourth, there is no good reason to go back to Wilson right now. If this was just a flash in the pan and Fields implodes, then going back to Wilson makes sense. Until that point though, going back to Wilson as the starter is a stubborn mistake that this team can’t afford to make.