National Football League

Why Russell Wilson, when healthy, should be Steelers’ QB1 over Justin Fields

Published Oct. 10, 2024 1:56 p.m. ET

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Ben Arthur

NFL Reporter

The time is coming for Mike Tomlin to make a decision. 

For weeks, with Russell Wilson nursing a calf injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach has danced around naming a starting quarterback. And it hasn't been an issue. With Wilson sidelined, Justin Fields has been the starter by default. There's been no need to name a QB1 one way or the other, and that has avoided a potential distraction. 

But Wilson could be active for the first time this weekend, when the Steelers (3-2) play Sunday at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-3). The nine-time Pro Bowler participated fully in practice Wednesday for the first time since Sept. 5. 

"I think the fact that he's a full participant is a door that's ajar," coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday of Wilson. "But to say any more than that is to speculate, because he's got to get through the day. He's got to show up on Thursday and see where the roads lead us in terms of that. 

"Until Russ gets to a point where we're comfortable with what we're looking at, and he's able to execute all schematics, he's able to put together back-to-back consecutive days and so forth, I just think that's a hypothetical conversation," Tomlin added of the QB1 debate. "We're going to continue to push forward with Justin until those things are legitimate, and then we'll make decisions accordingly."

But when Wilson is 100 percent healthy and ready to go, he should be QB1.

One reason is that the evidence is building against Fields. After a 3-0 start, the Steelers have lost back-to-back games in what's shaping up to be a neck-to-back battle with the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) in the AFC North. 

In last week's loss to Dallas, Pittsburgh's longest completion was 21 yards. Its longest run was eight yards. The Steelers, who went 3-of-12 on third down in the game, had 226 yards of offense to the Cowboys' 445. 

The performance spoke to a Pittsburgh offense that is plagued by inconsistency, low-scoring and slow starts. The Steelers rank in the bottom half of the league in several key offensive metrics — yards per play (25th), touchdown rate (19th), passing yards per game (27th), rushing yards per attempt (29th), scoring (26th), penalties committed and accepted (T-22nd), net yards per drive (20th), points per drive (T-20th), red-zone attempts (T-18th), red-zone touchdowns (T-20th) and red-zone efficiency (T-18th).

Pittsburgh has also scored three or fewer points in the first quarter in four of its five games, including three straight. The team had zero opening period points in Weeks 3 and 4. 

"It's frustrating, but it's just ourselves, to be honest with you," Fields said after the Cowboys game. "I think the recurring thing is just shooting ourselves in the foot … penalties, false starts, and stuff like that. It just comes down to execution."

Can Steelers solve their offensive struggles?

None of this is to say Fields has been bad. In fact, one could argue he has actually exceeded expectations for the Steelers, who acquired him from the Chicago Bears in March for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick that could become a fourth-round selection based on playing time. 

With Tomlin, Fields has coaching stability for the first time in his career. And despite injury issues up front, this is the best offensive line Fields has had. He's facing the lowest sack rate (8.7%) and pressure rate (23.5%) of his career, according to Pro Football Reference. The former first-round pick is pacing for career-highs in several categories: completion rate (67.6%), interception rate (0.7%), passing success rate (45%), yards per attempt (7.0), passer rating (97.1), bad throw rate (14.1%) and on-target rate (74.2%) among them.  

Fields has also shown his ability to handle adversity. The Steelers fell 27-24 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, but he guided them back from a 17-3 halftime deficit to make it a close affair, accounting for 233 yards of offense in the second half. 

But what Pittsburgh is missing was evident in the Dallas game. 

The Cowboys trailed entering the fourth quarter and committed three turnovers to the Steelers' one, but orchestrated touchdown drives of 15 and 16 plays to win the game, with Dak Prescott leading the way. The difference was that Dallas had a quarterback that can finish in Prescott, who has 23 career game-winning drives in eight-plus seasons. Fields has just four in three seasons and counting. 

Enter Wilson, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has 39 career game-winning drives (in 12 seasons) — trailing only the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford (45) among active players. Wilson's experience is what the Steelers need as they go deeper into the NFL season. 

Though not what he was in his prime with the Seattle Seahawks, the 35-year-old Wilson should be able to get more out of the Steelers' passing game than Fields. Sean Payton soured on him last season, leading the Denver Broncos to release the veteran quarterback in March, but he wasn't the main issue in Denver last season. He completed 66.4% of his throws for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns with eight interceptions and a 98.0 passer rating in 15 games — more than respectable numbers. He also tied Geno Smith with an NFL-high four fourth-quarter comebacks. 

Tomlin's defense leads the Steelers, who need the offense to run the ball well, stay on schedule, limit mistakes and put the game away if necessary. 

If Wilson's mobility is respectable, he's the best option to achieve those objectives for Pittsburgh. 

"I think for me, it's doing whatever it takes to help us win and stay focused on just preparing," Wilson said earlier this month, "being ready to go when that time is right."

That time should be as soon as he's 100 percent healthy.

Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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