When it comes to who will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback in Week 1, a decision is coming this week from Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
“We’ve got three days of Steelers versus Steelers work and why not do it then?” Tomlin said in his post-game press conference on Saturday, via NFL Media. “It kind of minimizes the Steelers versus Steelers work when we start making decisions prior to the completion of that. We’ve got ample time to prepare for Atlanta and make whatever decisions or announcements regarding divisional labor or pecking orders and so forth.
“And so, we will do it at the end of the work week.”
The race to become Pittsburgh’s Week 1 QB1 appears to be too close to call.
Just look at these numbers shared by Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times:
OK, so maybe that was shared with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Nevertheless, it seems as if the Steelers don’t have a cut-and-dry decision yet regarding their QB1 conundrum. And while I’m not sure if that is a good sign for Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, I find myself curiously watching from afar.
Steelers quarterback decision could have wide-ranging effects
Obviously, we care because the Chicago Bears could get a fourth-round pick from the Steelers if Fields plays 51 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Anything less than a 51 percent snap share will result in Chicago receiving a sixth-rounder from Pittsburgh. Sure, getting something is better than nothing. But let’s be honest with each other, we all had higher hopes for the Justin Fields era than this. After all, who thought we’d be tracking Justin Fields’ playing time because it would hold the fate of a future Bears draft pick at this time last year?
But beyond the Fields and draft pick stuff, this is an interesting quarterback situation because it opens the door to a bunch of different questions that could have league-wide ramifications.
For instance, what if Russell Wilson rebuilds his stock and cements himself as a viable starting quarterback again? On the surface, Wilson getting back into peak form for his age-36 season would be a tremendous story. Stuff like that simply doesn’t happen. But if it did, Wilson — who is on a one-year, league-minimum deal — could get an extension from Pittsburgh or hit the free-agent market and demand top dollar. Imagine the arms race that would happen if Wilson and Dak Prescott were able to make it to free agency. It could shake up all sorts of stuff around the league.
But what happens if Russ flops? What’s next? Is there another team that will be willing to see if they can fix whatever has been ailing him since leaving Seattle? Or does Wilson, who has accomplished so much as an NFL star, hang ’em up and move on to life after football?
What if Justin Fields figures it out in Pittsburgh? Sometimes, it takes finding a new home to get things going in the right direction. Fields remains athletically gifted with a tremendous arm and game-breaking ability as a runner. The accuracy and processing speed still leave much to be desired. But perhaps a patient team will be able to max out on Fields’ tools. If not, then I can see Fields following the path similar to what Jameis Winston is on as someone who bounces around as a journeyman. Hey, there are worse ways to make a living.
Remember when there was chatter about the Steelers using Fields as a kick returner? Or when the Los Angeles Chargers turned him into a Sims character? Yeah, weird times were had by all this offseason. In the end, I’ll be watching this from afar to see how this situation unfolds.