Month: October 2024

Although the Steelers handily defeated the Raiders in Week 6, Justin Fields‘ work is now under scrutiny. The quarterback has strung together two shaky passing performances, and consideration is now being given to benching the offseason trade pickup.

Mike Tomlin has refused to name Fields his full-time starter, but Russell Wilson practiced fully last week and suited up in a QB2 capacity in Las Vegas. Wilson won the Steelers’ starting job out of the preseason but has been unable to shake a calf injury. Tomlin has wanted Wilson to show he can stay healthy before reopening the conversation about the full-time QB job. Fields’ recent play looks to have pushed this conversation back to the forefront.

The Steelers are set to give Fields and Wilson first-team reps in practice this week, Tomlin said. The 18th-year Pittsburgh HC said Wilson has knocked off the rust that came from aggravating the calf issue, via Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer and ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor, and is under consideration to start in Week 7.

Further clouding this situation, Tomlin said (via Palmer) the Steelers are open to using both quarterbacks. While an arrangement not too dissimilar from Kordell Stewart‘s mid-1990s part-time role would be an interesting continuation to the Steelers’ 2024 QB plot, Wilson was all but assured he would win this job this offseason. The potential Hall of Famer’s new team had established him as the clear frontrunner, but once he suffered the calf injury early in training camp, the 13th-year vet saw the more athletic Fields narrow the gap. The Steelers waited until a few days after the preseason ended to name Wilson the starter.

While the Broncos did demote Wilson to close out last season, his contract was at the root of the move to Jarrett Stidham. Wilson has never been a true QB2. The decorated passer being moved into that role on a full-time basis would almost certainly not sit well, considering he won the job initially. That makes this week of practice pivotal for Wilson’s career and Fields’ future.

It still makes more sense for the Steelers to consider a second contract for Fields than Wilson, seeing as the former is more than 10 years younger. Fields’ age-25 season started decently, with the Steelers 3-0, and then included a 312/55 day in a loss to the Colts. A depleted Cowboys defense kept Fields in check, however, and he was 14-for-24 for 145 yards — albeit with two rushing touchdowns — against the Raiders. A penalty also negated a Fields INT, helping bring Wilson back into the mix for Week 7, when the Steelers will host the Jets.

Reports of Fields having done enough to keep his job have emerged this season, but a September offering pointing to Wilson being likely to return to the starting role suddenly appears more relevant. Should Fields play fewer than 51% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps, the Bears would only receive a 2025 sixth-round pick. Fields hitting that threshold, as he is currently on track to, would send a 2025 fourth to Chicago. The Bears will have a vested interest in how Wilson performs in practice this week, as Tomlin shifting course would affect the NFC North team’s draft assets.

The Steelers are giving Wilson first-team reps

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 4-2 and tied for the lead in the AFC North. Quarterback Justin Fields has done a solid job stepping in for Russell Wilson who has dealt with a calf injury since the start of the season. Fields has 10 total touchdowns to just one interception this season. That said, NFL insider Tom Pelissero is reporting that the Steelers are planning to make the switch.

Wilson is expected to take first-team reps this week ahead of Week 7, which would make him the starter for the Steelers’ Sunday night matchup with the New York Jets. Mike Tomlin noted that he feels comfortable with Wilson’s health and that “both guys are scheduled to work tomorrow.”

When asked why Fields hasn’t been named the starter despite a strong 4-2 start, Tomlin offered, “Justin [Fields] has been really good, and we’ve been really good at times — not to be confused with great.”

Wilson is coming off a year in which he threw 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions with the Denver Broncos and finished with a passer rating of 98.

Tough blow

The Pittsburgh Steelers missed out on yet another wide receiver in the trade market, as the New York Jets have officially acquired All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Jets sent a conditional third-round pick that can become a second-rounder based on performance in exchange for the star wideout, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The news is doubly frustrating for Steelers fans, as they’ve not only missed out on another wide receiver who could have transformed the receiving room — that star wide receiver could also face Pittsburgh in his first week with his new team, as the Steelers host the Jets on Sunday Night Football this week.

Rapoport shared that Adams is already in the building for his physical — a sign that the Jets are eager to get him in the mix as quickly as possible. Adams had previously been dealing with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the last two weeks, but Rapoport states he’s in a good place with the injury.

If Adams does play, he’ll work alongside Jets star Garrett Wilson, meaning Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott will have their hands full in the secondary.