The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a solid start to the 2024 NFL season. Pittsburgh is 3-2 heading into Week 5 and are tied with Baltimore atop the AFC North. The Steelers have accomplished this without veteran QB Russell Wilson, who has been dealing with a calf injury. Pittsburgh has a chance to get him back in Week 6 after a positive injury update.
Steelers QB Russell Wilson was a full participant at practice on Wednesday, per The Athletic's Mike DeFabo. This is the first time that Wilson has been a full participant since re-injuring his calf earlier this season.
The Steelers now have an interesting situation to consider at QB heading into Week 6. Justin Fields has led Pittsburgh to a respectable record so far, but he does not offer the same stability that someone like Wilson does.
Steelers fans should keep their eyes peeled for an announcement on the Week 6 starter later this week.
Will the Steelers replace Justin Fields now that Russell Wilson is healthy?
The Steelers have a tricky QB situation once again now that Russell Wilson is healthy again.
One NFL insider believes that Justin Fields should continue to be the starter in Pittsburgh, regardless of whether Wilson is active or not.
“I was in Pittsburgh for Sunday’s game against Dallas, and talking to people there, I definitely did not get the sense Justin Fields was on thin ice or that the coaching staff was looking for a reason to turn it over to Wilson,” ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote. “At least Fields offers running ability, and the coaches and players I’ve talked to there had nothing but positive things to say about him. So, it’s interesting to see what coach Mike Tomlin does on this, but I’m sticking with my prediction that Wilson never plays for the Steelers unless Fields gets hurt.”
Throughout the preseason, the prevailing narrative was that Wilson would start in Week 1. That was viewed as the best plan to start the season, and ideally Justin Fields would eventually win the job over Wilson. However, Wilson's calf injury complicated matters and now the Steelers are left in an awkward situation.
There is a positive way to look at this scenario. If Justin Fields continues to struggle, the Steelers always have Russell Wilson as the backup option. Keeping Wilson out of the lineup for now may be the smart move for now, as the Steelers have done quite well without him. That said, if and when the fans at Acrisure start chanting for Russ, the team should be willing to make a tough call.
The Steelers will take on the Raiders in a crucial Week 6 matchup for both teams.