The Steelers quarterback situation has been one of the most talked about storylines of the preseason, and for good reason. Choosing to bring in two polarizing options with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields alone would stir up plenty of conversation.
Their collective performance in the preseason wasn't exactly memorable, but they both were given the chance to show what they could do. Now that training camp and the preseason have come and gone, the decision seems to have been made.
Mike Tomlin hasn't announced it, but Russell Wilson appears to be the guy for the Steelers to start the season. That was likely always going to be the case despite Wilson missing significant time during camp, but Fields took advantage of the opportunity to get plenty of starting reps. While he didn't do enough to overtake Wilson to start the season, he did show enough to give the Steelers confidence that they can go to him if need be.
Personally, I don't think it's really an if they need him to play at some point situation, but a when they need him.
Russell Wilson will be fine, but not good enough to fend off Fields
Say what you want about all of Fields' flaws as a quarterback, but a 35-year-old Russell Wilson simply isn't good enough anymore to keep him on the bench for long. Wilson, for as great as he was for the Seahawks for over a decade, relied heavily on his ability to make plays with his legs during his prime. Not as a runner the way Fields has, but mostly as a way to move the pocket and throw down the field or to the boundary.
Now that he has lost a step as an athlete, those big plays he used to make don't show up nearly as often. His yards per attempt over the past two seasons is over half a yard lower than his career average, and he has taken 100 sacks in those two years. Now, has Fields been any better in either of those regards? No, but there is one defining trait that Fields has that will get him on the field this season.
Fields' ability as a runner is game-changing for an offense that wants to lean on the running game, and a young and unproven offensive line will make his escapability even more important. Arthur Smith wants to lean on the run to force the defense into stacking the box.
That's when he can get the passing game going by throwing over the middle against linebackers and safeties. Neither of his quarterbacks have been any good at that in their careers, but Fields' ability to change the numbers in the run game gives him an edge. At the end of the day, Tomlin and his staff are always going to try and maximize their chance of winning games. Even with his flaws, I believe Fields has the higher upside for this year.
It's highly likely that neither of these players will be the answer at quarterback for the Steelers beyond this year, but Fields at least is young enough and gifted enough that he has a small chance of turning things around in Pittsburgh. That alone should mean we see him play significant snaps at some point this season.