The Pittsburgh Steelers are grappling with the most important question in sports as they approach the regular season: Who will be their starting quarterback?
The team initially signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to a veteran minimum contract with the intention of making him their starter.
However, an untimely calf injury at the start of training camp opened the door for former No. 11 overall pick Justin Fields to step in and take all of the first-team reps, allowing him to build strong connections with his teammates.
Unfortunately, neither Wilson nor Fields have looked sharp thus far in camp leading to significant panic in Pittsburgh.
As the preseason progresses, the question of who should lead the Steelers’ offense remains unanswered.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky weighed in on the situation during “Get Up,” offering his opinion on the brewing quarterback controversy.
“Justin Fields should start for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Orlovsky said. “Two preseason games in, and two weeks until the season, I think it’s obvious that Justin brings more good than bad in comparison to Russell Wilson.”
Fields has flashed at times during the preseason, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes over the course of two games. While Wilson had a decent outing last Saturday, connecting on 8-of-10 passes, he was sacked three times—a worrying sign considering the offensive line’s performance.
“The sacks, I would disagree are all on the offensive line,” Orlovsky pointed out. “Here’s my pushback; Mike Tomlin says ‘that’s not how we operate,’ I think that’s the biggest issue right now. The Russ that we saw, isn’t operating this offense.
“They certainly aren’t contenders with the Russ we saw this past weekend.”
Given the injuries on the offensive line and lingering doubts about its overall strength, the more mobile Fields might be the better choice.
His ability to evade defenders and gain positive yards could be crucial in situations where Wilson, now less mobile, might struggle. (Although at this point it’s hard to have too much confidence in either option.)
With one preseason game remaining against the Detroit Lions, Tomlin may give Wilson another chance to prove his command of the offense.
However, if Wilson falters again, Fields could very well find himself as the starting quarterback when the Steelers open their season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
What are your thoughts on Orlovsky’s comments?
Who do YOU think should be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback when the bullets start flying for real???