A large cloud of controversy emerged this week in Pittsburgh as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin apparently decided to switch quarterbacks ahead of the team’s Sunday night game against the New York Jets.
Tomlin won’t admit as much. He declined to announce the team’s starter Friday afternoon. But all signs point to Pittsburgh turning from Justin Fields to veteran Russell Wilson.
The move – which wasn’t greeted with universal approval from the roster, according to multiple league sources – comes at a crucial time. The 4-2 Steelers share first place with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North after rebounding from two straight losses with a win in Las Vegas last weekend.
Fields, 25, has played the best football of his young career since being acquired in an offseason trade with Chicago. He’s vastly improved his pocket awareness and decision-making. Fields owns career highs in passer rating (93.9), completion percentage (66.3%), completion percentage over expected (plus-1.7%), passing EPA (plus-5.0), and play success rate (43.2%) through six games. He’s also being sacked at the lowest rate of his career, and he’s thrown five touchdowns against just one interception.
With the spotlight primarily on Fields, Wilson has navigated uncharted territory. The former Seahawks and Broncos quarterback had never missed more than two games in a single season over his decorated 13-year career, but he’s been sidelined for all six contests with a calf injury that he first sustained at the beginning of training camp.
Now that Wilson is nearing full health, the Steelers appear ready for a sudden change. The risk is that Wilson’s form matches that of his two seasons in Denver when he went 11-19 and produced the two lowest QBR marks of his career.
“This switch has Tomlin’s fingerprints all over it,” one league source said. “A bit puzzling, but that’s (Tomlin). With Fields, the season … has fit Pittsburgh’s recipe. A lot of heavy lifting from the defense and a floating effort from the offense. If Russ looks like Denver Russ, I’d expect a lot of unhappy folks in that building.”
Tomlin is likely making this change hoping to spark the offense, led by former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith in his first year as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator. Fields has done a commendable job keeping the unit afloat, but Wilson has been listed as the team’s QB1 on the depth chart ever since signing a one-year, $1.2-million deal in March.
“Justin has been really good, and we’ve been really good at times – but not to be confused with great,” Tomlin told reporters this week. “This is a competitive league. We’re trying to position ourselves to be that team, and we got a player with talent who hasn’t had an opportunity to play … so, we’re going to potentially explore those things.
“Sometimes it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with what Justin has done or has not done.”
Fields is performing at his most productive rate in four seasons, but he’s still just middle of the road among QBs this year. Pittsburgh’s offense has also left much to be desired. The Steelers rank 28th in pass offense (166.8 yards per game) and 21st in scoring. Pittsburgh also has struggled on early downs, ranking last in the league in passing plays on first down (41.8%). Fields’ completion percentage has taken a noticeable dip over the past two weeks, and he has five turnover-worthy plays during that span.
“I don’t think I played good enough if I’m being real with you,” Fields told reporters this week. “If I’m being real with myself, I think if I did play well enough, I don’t think there would be any sort of, who should be playing, who should not. At the end of the day, we got a few wins – of course, I’m glad about that, but there’s areas where I can be better.”
The Steelers are hopeful the more seasoned Wilson can upgrade Pittsburgh’s offensive performance in support of one of the league’s top defenses. They’ve given up just 14.3 points per game, which ranks second in the NFL behind the Chargers.
Wilson, who turns 36 next month, is also looking to recast himself as one of the league’s top players. He enjoyed an illustrious tenure in Seattle – highlighted by a Super Bowl XLVIII victory and nine Pro Bowl selections – before he signed a five-year, $245-million contract with the Broncos in 2022.
His time in Denver was a huge disappointment, first with former coach Nathaniel Hackett and then with current Broncos coach Sean Payton. The Broncos released Wilson this past March while incurring the biggest dead-cap charge in NFL history ($85 million).
Whether Wilson can get back to that Seattle form is the primary question. Tomlin is banking on Wilson’s experience, leadership, and willingness to air it out to unlock a new level of the offense. Fields has registered just an 11.9 deep pass percentage. Wilson had a 17.8 deep pass percentage during his final campaign in Seattle compared to 15.1 and 12.3 in his two seasons in Denver, respectively.
Additionally, the Steelers have been reluctant to target the middle of the field, and wide receiver George Pickens is the only Steelers pass-catcher to exceed 200 receiving yards. Pittsburgh’s coaching staff and front office remain high on tight end Pat Freiermuth, but he has just 22 catches for 194 yards. Part of those struggles could be attributed to the lack of play action, along with the offense’s inability to set the tone on the ground; the Steelers rank 24th in yards per rush (4.0).
Pittsburgh has also rolled out four different offensive line combinations. The lack of continuity surely has contributed to the overall lack of explosive plays, and it’ll continue to be an issue for Wilson, too. Although Fields lagged at times as a passer, he leads all NFL quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns and ranks fourth in rushing yards. Pittsburgh won’t have that same dynamic ability outside the pocket with Wilson.
Will Tomlin remain committed to Wilson if he struggles? The Steelers have prime-time games at home against the Jets and Giants before facing Washington and Baltimore following their bye week.
It’s bound to be a slugfest. Right now, Wilson – with the support of Tomlin – will be calling the shots.
“Justin’s done a great job, he’s a tremendous quarterback, great teammate,” Wilson said. “I think, more importantly for us, as we continue to go on through the season, we want to get better and grow. That’s always the goal every year. … You just want to keep rising, keep getting better.
“For us, we’re just focused on winning this week. Nothing else down the road, just being in the moment.”
