The Pittsburgh Steelers have what is probably the most interesting quarterback situation in the league. The organization brought in both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields during the 2024 offseason, and it was always assumed that Wilson would be the starter. It hasn't quite worked out that way. On the first day of training camp it was announced that Wilson was dealing with a calf injury which gave Fields some momentum to earn the starting role. Wilson's injury popped up ahead of the season opener, and Fields has been the starter ever since.
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Steelers' Justin Fields looks on during Chargers game.
Fields has played well during his first four starts as the Steelers quarterback. He has led the team to a 3-1 record while being one of the more efficient passers in the league. He has also been effective with his legs, as he has ran in three scores. Wilson is still fighting back from his calf injury and he should be participating more in practice. Insider Gerry Dulac believes Wilson will be given a more prominent role in Week 5.
"I don't know for sure right now which role Wilson will assume Sunday, but I'm going to imagine if he is a full participant in practice he will be the backup against the Cowboys and not the emergency third QB. As for Fields, yes, he made some typical Fields mistakes -- the kind we saw in Chicago -- but I think his good far outweighed the bad in that game."
Wilson has been serving as the emergency quarterback during games, which technically means he has been inactive. The team would of had to put Kyle Allen in the game before moving to Wilson when he was the third quarterback. Now, it is expected that Wilson will be the primary backup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5.
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Steelers' Justin Fields and Russell Wilson during training camp ahead of the 2024 season.
Fields has been playing well and improving every week, but it seems like Wilson may just be one step away from taking the starting job in Pittsburgh. Through his first four starts, Fields has been one of the more efficient passers in football. He has led the Steelers towards having the 12th most efficient passing offense in the NFL, which is something that didn't even seem to be within reach over the last couple of seasons.
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Steelers' Justin Fields runs during practice ahead of Week 3.
Hopefully Wilson stepping into the backup quarterback role doesn't mess with Fields' psyche. If Pittsburgh was coached by anyone other than Mike Tomlin, Fields would already be the solidified starter that the team would have committed to. Tomlin won't do that quite yet. For some reason there is an infatuation with Wilson in Pittsburgh that is hard to explain. They have an exciting, young, athletic quarterback who is excelling - but they want to keep the door open for the soon-to-be 36-year old quarterback.
What do you think of Wilson moving up the depth chart? Let us know in the comments below!
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