Six games and four wins into the season, Pittsburgh is making a switch at quarterback.
The Steelers are planning to start Russell Wilson on Sunday night against the New York Jets over Justin Fields, who had started each of Pittsburgh’s previous games this season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported the impending switch on Tuesday, but head coach Mike Tomlin said he still had a decision to make. Pittsburgh is coming to the conclusion that was reported, going with a now-healthy Wilson, though it’s still mighty confounding for many.
Rapoport added that while Wilson is expected to play a bulk of the snaps as Sunday's starter, Fields is also expected to play at some capacity.
The move will mark the first time in the Super Bowl era that an uninjured starting quarterback has led his team to a 4-2 record or better and has not started his team’s seventh game, per NFL Research.
Though Fields has hardly sparkled, the former Chicago Bears first-round pick has become a favorite of his teammates, thrown five touchdowns to just one interception and also rushed for five scores, which is tied for fifth in the NFL. Pittsburgh is 26th in total offense and the hope is Wilson can ignite the group, particularly a passing game that’s 28th in yards.
Wilson was proclaimed the team’s QB1 in training camp but was inactive over the first half-dozen games due to a calf injury. For the first time all year, Wilson has been absent from the injury report this week and Tomlin has elected to go with the former Super Bowl champion in the starting lineup.
Suddenly, Sunday night is as provocative a game as there is on the Week 7 slate despite the Jets (2-4) carrying a three-game losing streak into the evening and the Steelers having lost two of their previous three.
New York will have Aaron Rodgers starting and reuniting with Davante Adams, who was acquired via trade from the Las Vegas Raiders this week.
The Steelers, who dismantled the Adams-less Raiders in Week 6 to end a two-game skid, will see Wilson make his 2024 and Pittsburgh debut.
The 35-year-old won a Super Bowl and earned nine Pro Bowl trips during 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He was traded to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2022 campaign and met abysmal results in the Mile High City. Benched over the last two games of each of his Denver seasons, Wilson was released by the Broncos this past offseason and signed by the Steelers on the cheap.
Wilson has fared well in his career against the Jets, having earned a 3-1 record as a starter with 11 touchdowns and just one interception, though he lost his last meeting with New York last season as the Broncos starter. He’s also lost each of his previous two team debuts -- as a rookie with the Seahawks against the Arizona Cardinals in 2012 and in 2022 with the Broncos against the Seahawks.
This will mark the eighth career matchup between Wilson and Rodgers, each of the prior seven seeing them start for the Seahawks and Packers, respectively. Rodgers owns a slim 4-3 advantage. Now they’re each in different uniforms doing their best to show they can still lead a squad to prominence.
Russ is taking over under center for the Steelers on Sunday. Here we go!