This is it; the Pittsburgh Steelers can't wait any longer. It's time to decide who will take the field at quarterback against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. However, we are just hours away from kickoff, and no official decision has been made.
Russell Wilson, who dealt with a calf injury that held him out of most of training camp and caused him to miss the first preseason game, experienced 'calf tightness' in the days leading up to the Steelers vs. Falcons game. Now his status is more in question than ever before.
On Sunday morning Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Steelers will examine Wilson's calf this morning to see if he's able to go, but as it stands, Justin Fields is more likely of the two to start against the Falcons today.
The #Steelers are expected to examine QB Russell Wilson this morning to check out his calf, but as it stands now, it’s more likely Justin Fields starts vs the #Falcons than Wilson, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2024
The team is cautious with calf injuries. Wilson is questionable. pic.twitter.com/IrLE33syF6
Former NFL quarterback and current co-host of The Facility on FS1, Chase Daniel, urged the Steelers to play it cautious with Wilson's calf injury. He pointed to how Aaron Rodgers' 'calf tightness' last summer ultimately resulted in a ruptured Achilles, which ended his season just four snaps into Week 1 of 2023.
Turning to QB Justin Fields is a no-brainer for the Steelers
The fact that Mike Tomlin has been dragging his feet this long regarding the quarterback decision is ridiculous. Russell Wilson's calf injury, which has lingered since July, isn't suddenly getting better in a matter of hours before the game, and deploying him at the potential risk of a much more serious injury is ludicrous.
Turning to Justin Fields is an answer that's never been easier.
Not only is Fields the healthier quarterback of the two, but half of Pittsburgh's fan base would argue that he's the better option even when Wilson is fully healthy. While Fields didn't have a perfect preseason, he logged twice as many practice reps during training camp as Wilson and had more time to develop chemistry with the starting offense.
Fields also put his remarkable mobility on display during the preseason -- showing the effortless ability to get his team in field goal range in the two-minute offense by chunking off explosive plays with his legs.
Maybe this is a ploy to keep Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on his toes and guessing which QB will be starting for the Steelers today. Tomlin may already know which quarterback will be on the field and he's just waiting for the big reveal.
Regardless of why it has taken this long to make a decision at quarterback, deploying a healthy, 25-year-old Justin Fields in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons is the right choice and what needs to happen.