Yes, Russell Wilson will start for the Steelers on Sunday night. And, yes, Justin Fields will also play.
Wilson, who has recovered from a training-camp aggravation to his calf injury, got the first-team reps this week. As receiver George Pickens said on Friday, Wilson will get the start.
But Fields, who started six games in Wilson’s absence, also will play, according to NFL Media.
It’s an interesting dynamic, but it meshes with the messages the Steelers were sending before Wilson re-injured the calf in the days preceding the regular-season opener.
A Justin Fields package was in the cards, but the team didn’t want it to be a gimmick. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith used a Marcus Mariota package in Tennessee, after Ryan Tannehill claimed the starting job. And Mariota was on the field for the Derrick Henry jump pass that became the dagger for the win over the Ravens during the 2019 playoffs.
The Steelers want Wilson to play within the confines of the offense, and to resist the temptation of playing hero ball. That temptation could be strong to quite strong. Wilson turns 36 next month. and he has said he wants to play until he’s 45. Unless he performs like he did during his days with the Seahawks, no one will be clamoring to hand Wilson a starting job for 2025.
In some respects, Wilson’s career could be riding on the next two games. Both are against New York teams. Both are winnable. Both will happen in prime time.
Play well heading into the bye, and Wilson will be well positioned to lead the Steelers down a stretch that includes games against the Commanders, Eagles, Chiefs — and Ravens twice, Bengals twice, and Browns twice. Struggle, and Fields could slide back into the starting lineup.
If/when Pittsburgh moves on from Wilson during the 2024 season, there’s a good chance the rest of the league will have moved on, come 2025.