Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin finally announced something during his weekly press conference that people have been either anticipating or dreading. For the first time this season, quarterback Russell Wilson will split first-team reps with Justin Fields. Wilson has been sidelined with a calf injury for the season's first six games. Fields, who was meant to be the backup to Wilson, started off hot at 3-0.
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Steelers' Justin Fields warms up before Week 1 against the Falcons.
The rumblings that Wilson was healthy started about the time that the Steelers dropped two in a row to the Indianapolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys. This led many to speculate that Wilson would take over sooner rather than later. Then Fields and the Steelers bounced back in Week 6 and beat the Las Vegas Raiders 32-13.
According to Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, this is a departure from how Tomlin usually does things. We have seen in the past where Tomlin has chosen to ride with the "hot hand." He did it at the end of the 2023 season when he chose to stick with Mason Rudolph over first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett.
Batko joined Joe Starkey on his show on 93.7 The Fan immediately following Tomlin's press conference to discuss what he said. Starkey asked Batko what he thought of this decision and if he was surprised. Starkey noted that he had been pulling for Wilson to start, but never expected it when Fields got the team to 4-2.
"It's clearly a different posture than he's been in on the quarterbacks, and Russ specifically, than it was the first five weeks," said Batko. "I'm a little surprised. I thought he would ride the hot hand, as he tends to say, with Justin Fields."
Starkey and Batko joked that while Fields' legs might have been hot against the Raiders, his hand or arm was not. He was able to use his legs a number of times to keep Pittsburgh in the game and pick up touchdowns, and that was one of the biggest contributions to them winning.
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Steelers' Justin Fields runs against the Raiders.
However, Batko added that reporter Will Graves asked Tomlin during the media session about his philosophy that winning is the priority.
"You've said before that all that matters is winning, but if you go away from a guy who just beat a team 32-13 while under center, then you are prioritizing something other than the final score and the result in the win-loss column."
Batko said that many of the media members feel like the lack of points in the first five games, even in the ones they won, wore on Tomlin more heavily than people realize. He cannot be satisfied with just squeaking out the win as they have done the past few seasons.
According to Batko, it is important to note that all of this is based on Tomlin's cryptic sharing of information. He is not guaranteeing Wilson the starting role; he is not saying that Fields lost the job. He believes that playing Wilson now gives Tomlin two games to evaluate a nine-time Pro Bowler, which is something to compare to what he has seen from Fields thus far.
Steelers' Russell Wilson Ready At The Perfect Time?
Batko and Starkey also joked about Wilson's timing in being ready for the Week 7 game against the New York Jets and their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. The two will meet during Sunday Night Football, which sounds like the perfect billing for prime time.
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Newest New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stands in front of the media during his introductory press conference.
Rodgers and Wilson have many similarities. They are both older quarterbacks—Rodgers is 41, and Wilson is nearly 36. They have both won a Super Bowl and are hoping to breathe new life into their careers with their newest team. However, they both experienced injuries that set them back on the quest. These two football titans, who both seemed destined for the Hall of Fame, will meet at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Do you agree that starting Wilson means Tomlin prioritizes something other than winning? Click to comment below.
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