Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin tried to play it coy regarding the team’s quarterback decision for Sunday’s matchup against the New York Jets. Speaking to the media on Friday, Tomlin said he had made a decision but that he was keeping it “in-house.”
Pickens said that Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson has been putting in more work than usual after practice “because this is his first start,” essentially revealing that Wilson will be getting the start over Justin Fields.
With Wilson nursing a calf injury, Fields started Pittsburgh’s first six games, leading them to a 4-2 record. Wilson returned to practice this week and took first-team reps, but Tomlin did not commit to him as the starter. With Pickens’s comments, it appears Wilson will be getting the nod on Sunday Night Football against a Jets defense allowing 148.8 passing yards per game (second-best).
Fields produced mixed results in his six-game stint as Pittsburgh’s starter. He only threw one interception, but he led the NFL with six fumbles – luckily, just one was lost. While Fields scored five rushing touchdowns and ran for 38.5 yards per game, he struggled to consistently move the ball through the air, as Pittsburgh currently ranks 28th in passing yards per game (166.8) and 20th in net yards per pass attempt (5.7).
Wilson started 15 games for the Denver Broncos in 2023, leading them to a 7-8 record. He completed 66.4% of his passes for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. In a Week 5 meeting against the Jets, Wilson had 196 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and a lost fumble in a 31-21 Jets victory.
