Steelers’ quarterback dilemma: Grading Russell Wilson and Justin Fields

On By Littum

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 28: Russell Wilson #3 and Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warm up prior to the game against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium on October 28, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 28: Russell Wilson #3 and Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warm up prior to the game against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium on October 28, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Steelers The quarterback dilemma ended when Russell Wilson was medically cleared from an offseason calf injury. Justin Fields returned to Wilson’s backup and made his limited package debut in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Both players bring unique strengths and weaknesses to the table, but the jury is still out on whether this was the right call.

Ben Rolfe on the Pro Football Network recently broke it down like this:

13) Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Grade: C+

Russell Wilson is the poster child for why we set a minimum of 100 pass attempts for these positions. A week ago he would have placed in the top five of these rankings, but his fourth start saw him crash down the rankings after finishing 26th for the week.

Wilson has been good when he’s been able to operate from a clean pocket this season, ranking eighth but 28th when playing under pressure. Before this week, choosing Wilson to start over Fields looked like a smart decision, but that’s less decisive after the game against the Baltimore Ravens

14) Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

Grade: C+

It was a gutsy call by the Pittsburgh Steelers to bench Justin Fields after a 4-2 start to the season. Fields had his career-best season in Pittsburgh, but the bar was low and the numbers don’t suggest he should have remained the starting QB without a doubt.

There was a lot of promise for what Fields did, including the 10th when he threw under pressure and converted on third down. He didn’t perform particularly poorly on anything other than nYPA, which was ranked no. 25 with 6.1.

Fields didn’t hurt the Steelers and is a fine fill-in starter, but Wilson still offers Pittsburgh a slight advantage in the passing game.

The Steelers need long-term stability under center, something they haven’t had since the Ben Roethlisberger era. While Wilson’s ceiling is enticing, his inconsistency creates uncertainty. Fields is much younger, still developing and provides a spark with his athleticism.

Pittsburgh’s quarterback dilemma will be most interesting to monitor early in the offseason, as both Wilson and Fields’ contracts expire at the beginning of the new NFL league year in March.

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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers’ quarterback dilemma: Grading Russell Wilson and Justin Fields