The Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing ping-pong with the quarterback position this year.
Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson was named the starter heading into the season, but after injuring his calf heading into the first game of the season, Justin Fields assumed the starting role. Fields performed well in his action, leading Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record.
That record is why the NFL was turned upside down by head coach Mike Tomlin’s decision to start Willson in Week Seven against the New York Jets after he was fully healthy. The move paid off though. The Steelers scored a season-high 37 points and totaled over 400 yards of offense with Wilson at the helm.
Wilson’s performance has led to some in the Steelers building changing their tune on the quarterback situation. Leading up to the game against the Jets, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith hinted that if the decision were up to him, Fields would’ve remained the guy, but that it was Tomlin’s call in the end.
“I think confidence should be high,” Smith said of Fields at the time. “He’s 4-2, he’s been pretty productive and so whatever Mike tells us to do, like I said, I’ve got it ready either way and just working and that’s my job.”
Wilson’s performance against New York has Smith talking again. According to Steelers reporter Nick Farabaugh, Smith was extremely pleased with Wilson’s ability to weather the storm of the game’s early struggles.
“Arthur Smith said even though the early struggles against the Jets, there ‘was no panic’ from Russell Wilson, and he remained ‘neutral’ and confident in his abilities,” Farabaugh tweeted.
Arthur Smith said even though the early struggles against the Jets, there 'was no panic' from Russell Wilson, and he remained 'neutral' and confident in his abilities.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) October 24, 2024
It’s not hard to read between the lines and realize that Arthur Smith has reassessed things and now agrees with Tomlin that Wilson’s veteran presence is invaluable in games. The important thing for the Steelers is that they know they can generate victories with whichever quarterback they decide to go with depending on the matchup.
