For some reason, there are too many fans on the Justin Fields bandwagon to have Mike Tomlin make him the Steelers' QB1 over Russell Wilson. Anyone who actually believes that needs to review their Steelers history. In reality, Justin Fields is essentially filling the same role Mike Kruczek did for the Steelers in 1976.
The 2024 season is, to a varying degree, a repeat of the Steelers' 1976 season except without the 1-4 start. If you recall 1976, an injury to Terry Bradshaw forced the Steelers to start rookie Mike Kruczek, who went 6-0 during Bradshaw's absence. It was a franchise record that Ben Roethlisberger eventually broke, going undefeated in the regular season in his starts in his rookie season.
Why Steelers history Tells us to Keep Russell Wilson as the QB1
When Mike Kruczek went 6-0 in Bradshaw's absence, fans were not calling for Kruczek to replace Bradshaw, even though Bradshaw had his share of problems two seasons earlier in 1974. Why? The Steelers designed an offense specifically for Mike Kruczek to operate as Arthur Smith did for Justin Fields.
In 1976, they didn't want Kruczek to have to beat opponents with his arm, so most of the playcalling was simply to hand the ball off to Franco Harris and Rocky Blier. By the end of the season, both running backs had amassed over 1000 yards on the ground. The Steelers had over 30 rushing touchdowns for the season, while in the six games Kruczek played, he had no passing touchdowns.
So, What has Arthur Smith done in the wake of Russell Wilson's injury? It's something very similar to what the Steelers did in 1976. He designed the 2024 offense to create a lot of RPOs for Fields in which he can either pass or run. When you look at the Steeler's offense, Fields is typically rolling out, and if there is a crease, he runs the ball. Then, instead of Fields running the ball, he hands off to Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, or Cordarrelle Patterson.
Given that Fields is the former number-one draft choice, it's not that he can't heave the ball downfield; the Steelers would prefer he not do that. Thus, they are keeping things simple to allow the Steelers to control the ball while giving Fields the best opportunity for success.
The result is a three-game winning streak. As they did in 1976, the Steelers rely on a strong defense and a simplified offense to achieve maximum results. However, therein lies the problem. While the Steelers have had some short-term success with that strategy, they won't for the duration of the season. At some point, an opponent will force the Steelers to win the game in Field's arm, which should make Steelers fans nervous if a game comes to that.
So, for that reason alone, there is a case to keep Russell Wilson as the QB1. He, after all, is the successful, seasoned veteran who has one Superbowl win under his belt. He is a prolific passer who can win games with his arm. No one has any reason to believe he can't be successful when given the chance to take the reigns. Anyone who thinks that has not noticed the latest news coming out of Denver.
Fans there are starting to realize that Wilson may never have been the problem and that Sean Payton may have more culpability for Wilson's failure in Denver than Wilson had. Frankly, when the time comes for the Steelers to air the ball out, who would you rather trust, Fields or Wilson? At this time, unless the passing game dramatically changes under Fields, the safe bet would be Wilson.
At some point, perhaps in 2025, Justin Fields may be the quarterback the Steelers ultimately choose to lead them long-term. That is fine, and then he will be entrusted to expand his passing game. However, for 2024, he is a slightly more talented Mike Kruczek who is doing what a backup quarterback should do: win the games until the Starting quarterback is able to take the reigns.