Eisen: Steelers Are Justin Fields' Team; Surprised By Quarterback Confusion

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin announced during his regular "Tomlin Tuesday" press conference this week that he is giving Russell Wilson first-team reps for the first time this season. Since Wilson injured his calf, Justin Fields has been holding his spot. Even though Fields has gotten the team off to a 4-2 start and protected the football the way they asked, the team is considering moving away from him in favor of the former Super Bowl winner. 

Some believe that Fields brings skills that Wilson doesn't, mainly his athleticism. However, there is no denying that Wilson brings a wealth of experience and success to Pittsburgh that Fields hasn't had. Wilson took the Seattle Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning one. He knows what it takes to win. The Steelers' offensive line has been atrocious through the first six weeks, and both quarterbacks offer unique skill sets to help overcome that. 

Rich Eisen from the NFL Network has been a long-time Tomlin supporter, even predicting that the league's longest-tenured coach would take the Coach of the Year Award for 2024. On his program, The Rich Eisen Show, he talked about some of his concerns for the team, chiefly how hard their schedule becomes after their Week 9 bye. In a recent episode, he expressed his disbelief about Tomlin's decision after what he saw during their dominant Week 6 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. 

"When you're watching the Steelers and you're wondering how far this team can go and you're seeing how they're rallying around Justin Fields, it seems like when you're watching that game against the Raiders, you know, I'm not seeing his lack of operating the offense that significantly," said Eisen. "I'm just thinking that this is his team. This surprised me."

Fields initially took the team to 3-0 to start the season. They dropped their next two, and many fans started to wonder if Fields had what it took to take them through that second half of the season if he was struggling against lesser teams already. Then came the Raiders game, and while they got off to a slow start, the offense managed to move the ball and capitalize upon the defense's three turnovers.  

A lot of that came thanks in part to Fields' ability to scramble and run. This fact wasn't lost on Tomlin in his press conference. He said this decision, which is not set in stone, is merely about giving both players an opportunity. It also gives the coaches the ability to evaluate a talent in Wilson that they hadn't been able to look at fully before.

Steelers Starting Russell Wilson Could Benefit More Than The Team

Eisen said that when he heard there was a better chance that Wilson could start in the Week 7 game, his first thought was that the NFL executives in New York must be salivating. It would pit Wilson against another very successful NFL veteran, Aaron Rodgers. Both quarterbacks are hoping to revive their careers with their new team, and both are coming off injuries. 

"If Russell Wilson gets his first start as a Steeler after Justin Fields goes 4-2 and everybody wants to see how this is going to play out... if NBC gets that on top of Davante Adams' debut as a Jets wide receiver in the same game, that's what we call a bonanza. Is there any way to get Taylor Swift to the game. Can she suddenly be interested in the Watt family too?"

He added that he was joking because Tomlin does not give a "rats a**" about ratings. Eisen also noted that Tomlin would not be swayed to start either Wilson or Fields because of optics or pressure from anyone else. He will decide who to start based on how the practices shake out this week and who he believes gives him the best chance of winning for the rest of the season. 

Do you think the team was Fields' team? Click to comment below. 

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