Is it time for a change in Pittsburgh?
After getting off to a 3-0 start behind a strong defense and quality quarterback play by Justin Fields, the Pittsburgh Steelers (and Fields) have crashed back down to earth.
Fields’ level of play has fallen off in recent weeks, after getting off to a strong start (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Falling to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys in consecutive weeks, with Fields playing at a subpar level and Russell Wilson returning to practice as a full participant for the first time all season, the murmurs around the quarterback position have returned.
Has Fields done enough to stave off Wilson?
One former NFL player doesn’t think. At least not anymore.
“Justin Fields was in the pole position,” former NFL special teamer Jason Bell exclusively told talkSPORT.
“But in the NFL, you got to hold it, right?
“It’s tough. It’s week to week. You don’t want to give the person that’s knocking at the door an inch. And that’s what he’s did.”
If anyone knows what it’s like to have to go out and earn it every week, it’s Bell, who spent his career scratching and clawing as a special team standout.
“By him kind of reverting to his old ways, his old mistakes, you’re looking over and you’re thinking, well, I brought Russell Wilson in to start.
“He can fit our formula well, and we can go on and hopefully have success with him in there,” Bell said.
“So I think because of that, Russell Wilson probably will find his way back on the field just because of the way Justin Fields has played.”
Wilson is looking to claim the QB1 role after being sidelined with a calf injury to begin the seasonGetty
Unfortunately for Fields, the timing of his poor play comes when Wilson is finally back to full health, coming off a lingering calf issue he suffered right before the season started.
During his media availability, Wilson was asked what’s in store for him now that he’s fully healthy.
“That’s a big question,” Wilson said, per The Associated Press.
“For me, I’m preparing my mind to get ready to go and everything else,” Wilson said. “That’s kind of my mentality and (try and) help us win, (however) that is.”
“I feel confident that I’ll be ready to play and play and play at a high level. I think we’re being really smart, too, and trying to understand exactly how I feel.
“It’s a process, a process that I don’t love in terms of just having to go through what I’ve been going through,” Wilson said.
“But also at the same time, you get to figure out your fortitude, (your) mental fortitude, and also understand that you can always lead in different ways and everything else. I think that’s really important for us right now.”
While head coach Mike Tomlin might not be quite ready to make the change to Wilson, one NFL insider agrees with Bell, that not only is it a matter of time, but the time might be on Sunday.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo appeared on The Raiders Podcast Network this week and had this to say about the state of the quarterback position in Pittsburgh.
“I know Mike Tomlin is eager to make it happen,” Garafolo said. “It seems like he’s been in Russ’ corner the whole way….So I’ll say at some point, for some reason, one reason or another, we will see Russell Wilson in this game.”
You have to earn your keep every week in the NFL, especially for a player like Fields who hasn’t been able to consistently prove in his career that he can string together strong performances week in and week out.
“He had the opportunity, and they were going to ride with the hot hand,” Bell said.
“But once that showed any kind of significant decline with that defense they got, they just need somebody to handle the offense and plug into the formula correctly.”
“They’ll give Russell Wilson a chance to do that.”
The NFL is a ‘what have you done for me lately’ league, and Fields might not have done enough to keep the Steelers QB1 job moving forward.
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