While the Cleveland Browns refused to bench Deshaun Watson despite being 1-5, the Steelers, on the other hand, stunned everyone by benching Justin Fields, who had led them to a 4-2 record. Luckily, Mike Tomlin’s decision was vindicated as Russell Wilson ended up balling out, impressing the Steelers fanbase, including NFL great Ben Roethlisberger.
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Against the Jets, Wilson showed everyone why he had replaced Justin as the starter, throwing for 264 yards and 2 TDs in his first regular-season game since Christmas last year. Although the performance was certainly not the best, Roethlisberger was left impressed by Wilson’s quarterbacking prowess, which remained intact after spending so long on the bench.
“I think there was still some rust on Russ that we saw early, which I think he would tell you the same thing… [Russ] missed some throws but he hasn’t played a game since Christmas ‘23, it’s been a while so you’re going to get that.”
The two-time Super Bowl winner was particularly impressed to see Russell zipping in passes from deep. He even admired the touchdown pass to George Pickens, which Roethlisberger described as a very typical Russell Wilson throw.
“I thought that there were some deep balls that you know which is his MO, that were very good plays… the touchdown to Pickens was [also] a great catch.”
Though Mike Tomlin was vindicated, it’s hard to justify Justin Fields’ benching after the season he has had so far [1,106 yards, 5 TDs]. Fields represents the dynamic new age of playmaking at Pittsburgh, which instantly helped him carve out a special place in Steelers fans’ hearts.
So, it was no surprise that Russell Wilson entered the field to a chorus of boos from his own fanbase. For Roethlisberger, however, Russell’s performance, despite this negativity, makes it even more impressive.
Roethlisberger lauds Russell Wilson for his perseverance
While it’s easy to hate Russell Wilson based on the circumstances, it must be first acknowledged that none of this was his fault. Mike Tomlin took the call, so booing Russ is the wrong person being targeted.
Moreover, fans could have been more considerate of the veteran QB, as it was his first-ever outing for the Steelers. Even Roethlisberger shared this sentiment, revealing that being booed by fans is one of the “worst feelings” because players, at the end of the day, do it for the fans.
For most players, getting booed mercilessly in their debut game would have rattled them, but not when you are a veteran like Wilson. And this is what Roethlisberger loved the most about Russ this Monday.
Based on his own experiences, Ben noted on the podcast that the only way Wilson could have performed the way he did was by having immense self-belief and perseverance.
“So Russ is probably thinking like this is the worst, but I know what I’m capable of. I know who I am, I know what I am, I know what I can do and I’m going to just persevere through this. I think perseverance is such a strong word and I believe that he probably thought deep down: ‘I can persevere through this,’ and I think that’s what he did.”
Having experienced the boos from Steelers fans himself, Ben’s appreciation comes from a genuine place. This should be a great sign for the Pittsburgh fanbase because having two top-quality QBs is a good problem to have!
