Even though the Steelers signed both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, it is the former Seahawks QB who has been designated as the QB1 for the upcoming season. However, it has been rumoured that the organization has informed Wilson that he will be cut before the start of the next season if he fails to perform during the training camp.
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Although Chris Broussard has dismissed the speculation as balderdash. On a recent episode of First Things First, Chris stated that while he has no deeper affection for Russ, he will be fair in his assessment. While he accepts the reality that Wilson might not start the whole season, Broussard doesn’t believe he would get released even before the start of the season if he can still throw the ball.
Former Broncos shot-caller’s stats, 3070 yards thrown, with 26 TDs and 8 picks, don’t tell the whole story about his season. They do not show how bad he was but stats are still the parameters by which we measure the QBs performance. Wilson didn’t look as good as his number suggests but he still managed to accrue those stats. Broussard believes the Steelers are more optimistic about the Super Bowl winner than they are about Fields because it was Russ whom they brought in first even though the former Bears QB was available all off season.
Chris believes Justin chose Pittsburgh even though he had some other options, he did so because he wanted to learn under Wilson and knew he could be the starter if he performed well. But the Steelers still have higher hopes for Russ and he would have to commit serious faux pas to squander such an opportunity to be a starter again. He said,
” It is hogwash and scuttlebutt. I am not in love with Wilson but I am just gonna be fair. Is there a chance he won’t start the full 17 games? Sure. But is he gonna get cut in training camp? No way. Unless he goes out there and really just can’t play professional football and that’s not gonna happen. I even admit that he wasn’t as good as stats suggest. But they are stats and he did produce them. The fact of the matter is the Steelers have more hope for Wilson next season than they do for Fields.”
Even though Russ will be a starter next season, he would have to do better than what he did in Denver because, unlike the Broncos, the Steelers have a better backup with a higher ceiling in Fields.
Justin Fields Vs Russell Wilson Stat Comparison
Both Wilson and Fields were asked to move on by their teams after respective disappointing seasons. However, the former Seahawks QB performed better than his new backup. In 15 matches, Russ before getting benched in week 16, had 3070 yards along with 26 TDs and only 8 picks. He had the sixth-best passer rating in the league with 98 and had a pass completion rate of 66.4 %. Despite his advancing age, he still had 341 rushing yards with 3 rushing TDs.
As per Pro Football Reference, Fields started 13 games but had a statistically personal best year. He threw for 2562 yards but threw only 16 TDs and had 9 interceptions with a pass completion of 61.4 %. He had a passer rating of 86.3. The only category in which he edged Wilson was his rushing as he amassed 657 yards with 4TD.
Many think Sean Payton’s hostility towards him and the fact that the former Saints coach had already made up his mind about it even before stepping foot into the building didn’t help Wilson’s cause. He hopes that a new start him help discover his old mojo and go back to being Seattle Russ. However, he might have to up his game because Fields will look to grab the opportunity to jumpstart his career.
