Steelers' Russell Wilson Likely To Go "All Scorched Earth" And Unleash His PR Team Over Playing Time

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is in his 18th season and has seen it all. While the Steelers tamp down drama more than many other teams, you can't avoid it all. Now, they are facing a quarterback controversy that he thought he could avoid with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

With four games in black and gold, Fields and the Steelers sit atop the AFC North at 3-1, a place few thought they would be in August. While Fields has had some struggles, particularly in the loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he showed that he can remain calm and work to lead the team back from a deficit. 

That leaves Tomlin in a pinch when it comes to Wilson. He is getting healthier every week and will want the starting job. Tomlin has said that Wilson must show he can perform on the field first -- but that means benching a player who has performed better than expected. 

The former NFL General Manager Doug Whaley spoke with the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show about the Wilson-Fields dilemma. Whaley said that all eyes will be on Wilson this week as he practices more than before to see how it goes. He said the real question is which way he chooses to handle this.

"That is another reason why I'm excited to see how he does. Because does he toe the party line? Does he keep up with the Russ image of, 'I am a team player. I'm here to be the best teammate I can. If that means me being the starter, great; if that means being the backup, I'm going to support Justin.' Because that's the aura he's built around himself with all the tweets and the other stuff, or does he go anti, all scorched earth."

Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Wilson has comported himself like he is running for mayor, out shaking hands and kissing babies. At Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins games, he has been seen with his wife, pop star Ciara. He also had numerous workouts before minicamp with his new receivers to get to know them. Wilson has also gotten involved in charity work in Pittsburgh.  

Wilson had a reputation for being a bit of a diva when he was with the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Show host Adam Crowley thinks he will present "Russ the team player" to the public, but will allow his team to leak his grievances to the national media. Whaley said he was just about to say the same thing. 

"Yes," agrees an emphatic Whaley. "Through his team leaking stuff out. Especially if he gets healthy, to do it before the trade deadline so people understand he's not happy, let's at least reach out to the Steelers."

Wilson will supposedly be healthy enough to play second-string quarterback in the Week 5 game against the Dallas Cowboys. However, Tomlin already indicated that Fields will be the starter, so it is unlikely Wilson will play, except in the case of injury.  

Should The Steelers Trade Russell Wilson To Miami?

One possible scenario mentioned several times is that Pittsburgh may trade Wilson to the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has suffered several concussions over the past few years. He has been out recovering from his latest one, and his future in football is unclear. 

Whaley said that if Tagovailoa does return, he is likely only one more concussion away from being forced to retire. However, that doesn't mean he thinks Wilson makes sense for them. He said that the Steelers might be willing to take a third—or fourth-round pick for Wilson, which can be used to get a receiver. Then Pittsburgh would sign Ryan Tannehill, who is familiar with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. 

The issue is that Wilson is coming off this injury, and Miami cannot know his longevity. He also pointed out that quarterbacks aren't plug-and-play, and it will take Wilson or any other quarterback two to three weeks to get up to speed. That makes Whaley think they would be better off just tanking for the draft at that point. 

What do you think Wilson will do if Fields continues to play? Click to comment below. 

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