Pittsburgh Steelers Expected to Play Both QBs vs. NY Jets
The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to play both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson on Sunday against the New York Jets. Wilson will start.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will start Russell Wilson at quarterback for this Sunday’s primetime game against the New York Jets, but Justin Fields is also expected to play, according to a report by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The Steelers starting Wilson has been a not-very-well-kept secret all week, even though head coach Mike Tomlin repeatedly declined to make the designation official. NFL Network first reported on Tuesday that Wilson was expected to start, teammates revealed that Wilson was taking first team reps, and both Fields and Wilson seemed to hint at that decision during their media sessions on Thursday. Wide receiver George Pickens said on Friday that Wilson will be making his “first start” this week.
But if or how much Fields should be expected to play has been up in the air. The three-year Chicago Bears starter and former first-round draft pick started each of the Steelers’ first six games of the 2024 season, leading the team to a 4-2 record.
Fields played some of the best football in his career over that stretch. He currently holds career highs in completion percentage (66.3%), passer rating (93.9), adjusted net yards per attempt (5.89), interception percentage (0.6%) and sack percentage (9.09%).
But Fields was able to accomplish that mostly by taking very few risks with the football, and using his legs to accomplish a lot. Through six weeks, Fields is 23rd in passing yards and 19th in adjusted yards per attempt. His 231 rushing yards is fifth among NFL quarterbacks and his five rushing touchdowns has him tied for fifth among all NFL players.
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So it makes sense for the Steelers to try to use him as a second quarterback, primarily to get his athleticism and abilities as a runner on the field, especially with the team unlikely to want the 35-year-old Wilson to be taking many hits.
“They’re at different points in their career,” offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said on Thursday. “That’s the give and take. Obviously, everybody has seen it. It’s been a weapon for us certainly. Especially in situational football. That’s fine. You just pivot, and you lean into something else, and that’s what you do. That’s our job.”
Both Smith and Tomlin acknowledged the possibility of using both quarterbacks, but declined to specify their exact intentions.
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