The Pittsburgh Steelers might be considering a change at quarterback. According to NFL Media, the team plans to give Russell Wilson first-team practice reps this week, potentially setting him up to start against the New York Jets on Sunday night.
“I’ll acknowledge that Russ proved his health last week, and we’re looking hard at him this week,” Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday, as reported by NFL.com. “It is up for consideration.”
This development is intriguing for a Steelers team that is currently 4-2 and tied for first place in the AFC North, with Justin Fields having been the starter for the first six weeks. Given the team’s success with Fields, one might wonder why Mike Tomlin is even contemplating a change at quarterback. There are several factors that might explain this shift from Fields to Wilson.
Initially, Wilson was Tomlin’s preferred choice to start the season. However, a calf injury kept him sidelined before Week 1, leading to Fields taking over. Now that Wilson is back to full strength, the coaching staff may be looking to implement a broader offensive plan that they originally envisioned, and Fields’ performance hasn’t been compelling enough to maintain the current arrangement.
Even though the team is above .500 with Fields and recently enjoyed a dominant win against the Las Vegas Raiders, his overall performance has been inconsistent.
Fields’ accuracy could be a significant factor in Tomlin considering a quarterback change. After starting the season with a completion rate of nearly 74% in Week 1, Fields’ accuracy has largely declined.
In the last two games, he has completed just 56.8% of his passes. Among the 31 quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts this season, Fields ranks 26th in off-target throws to wide receivers, with a rate of 15.6%.
Additionally, he has the eighth-highest negative play rate (11.9%) among qualified quarterbacks this season.
While it might seem like everything is going well with Fields in charge, the team’s inefficiency in the passing game raises concerns, making Wilson a viable option.
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