In Russell Wilson’s absence, former Bears QB Justin Fields has stepped up, leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record. So much so that former Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has expressed that Fields has solidified his place as the Steelers’ starter.
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During his appearance on the Footbahlin podcast, Ben acknowledged that while Fields has had his fair share of struggles on the field, he has still managed to hold his own. The fourth-year quarterback is playing good football, Ben believes, and therefore, he wouldn’t necessarily want the Steelers to replace him when Wilson returns from injury.
“I thought Justin actually played a good game. He went on some spurts there where he had a couple bad throws in a row. But all in all, I would absolutely not even think about taking him out of the game right now. I would keep him in there.”
Impressed with his ability to extend plays and the quarterback’s leg game, Roethlisberger also affirmed his faith in Fields to keep his team “rolling” even in a bad game. He further pointed out that the backup quarterback can effectively extend plays on the fly and can keep drives alive in the pocket, as was evident in the first six games.
Roethlisberger concluded his statement by stating that the Steelers are in an optimistic spot with Fields and feels there’s only one aspect where Wilson takes the lead — pocket presence and deeper throws. But Roethlisberger believes that the veteran quarterback can’t match Fields’ running ability or his skills in extending plays.
“It’s good to have to know what you have at the backup and Russ is there if you need him. I just think what you’re going to get from Russ is more pocket presence to throw the ball down the field, but you’re not going to get that extend the play like Justin does.”
Roethlisberger’s comments seem to imply that Wilson might have to get comfortable on the bench, even possibly contemplating hanging up the cleats. However, as per recent reports, we might see the veteran returning to the field sooner than expected!
Wilson is positive before Steelers debut
According to ESPN’s Tom Pelissero, Wilson might be up to start for Pittsburgh in their Sunday matchup against the Jets. The quarterback has reportedly recovered from his calf injury and plans to make his much-delayed start at Acrisure Stadium.
But before that can materialize, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback must take first-team reps in practice this week.
Dianna Russini also reported that Mike Tomlin has confirmed that Wilson has “proved he’s healthy” and the decision about the starting position will be discussed soon.
Despite the injury struggles that arguably derailed his comeback, Wilson has maintained an optimistic outlook. He frequently shares motivational psalms and quotes on his Instagram story, encouraging his followers to keep faith and remain strong in the face of adversity.
The star quarterback recently shared a psalm from Matthew 9:29, which read, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”
Pittsburgh’s lineup in Sunday’s game is going to be an interesting one. While Wilson might make a comeback as the starter, Fields, who had been garnering praise from the league for his play, might be forced to return on the sidelines.
