Russell Wilson-Justin Fields Steelers’ QB1 debate gets eye-opening Field Yates take

After a falling out with the Denver Broncos, Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Steelers to be their likely starter for the upcoming season after they traded former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. After, they would acquire another former first-round quarterback via a trade in Fields from the Chicago Bears, though it could be seen as a rental since they declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent down the line, but Yates said he could be QB1 “sooner than later.”

“I think big time and I think it could be sooner than later by the way,” Yates said. “But in any event, I do think that it’s not a certainty that Russell Wilson is a starting quarterback in week 1. Not a certainty at all and words are simply words right now from the Steelers. Obviously the message has been good from Mike Tomlin and others about Russell Wilson. They think he has earned the right to be the leader in the clubhouse. I believe that’s a term they’ve been using, a leader in the clubhouse. But I think that if you just look at how each of them played last season, they’re both imperfect, right? I mean, if either of them were superior players, they would not have been on the open market. I guess, in the case of Justin fields, had been traded for a relatively modest return.”

Yates emphasizes differences between Fields and Wilson

As Yates would go into the reasoning why it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fields under center in a game for the Steelers, he honed in on the 25-year old’s ability to run the ball rather than Wilson who is in the twilight years of his career.

“So I think that Justin can do some things that Russ [Wilson] at this stage of his career is simply incapable of doing at a high level, he obviously impacts the game so much more does Justin as a dual threat quarterback than Russ did,” Yates said. “I don’t think either of these guys is like superlative play on time throwers. Rhythm is not the kind of word you associate with an offense with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.”

Yates not too high on the roster of Pittsburgh

While both quarterbacks have been eager for a fresh start from being frustrated about their former teams, Yates is critical about the Steelers roster saying that the team can’t carry “average quarterback play.”

“Both of them are much more meticulous, they are unafraid to stand tall in the pocket and wait and wait and wait and eventually deliver a strike when a guy is uncovered,” Yates continued. “But as a matter of fact, I’m not going to go as far as saying I bet on Justin Fields starting in week one, but like there’s a real part of me that thinks it’s it’s very much a possibility and I just think at some point the season they’re going to have to give Justin fields a look unless Russell Wilson’s playing unbelievable football, but if I were to evaluate this roster, and I know that they have not had a losing season in forever, but this does not strike me as a roster that is good enough around the quarterbacks to carry average quarterback play to a dominant season.”

There’s no doubt that Pittsburgh fans are in for a wild ride through the offseason and eventually in the fall where the team has to make a decision of who will have their named called to be the starter, but the job is nowhere near safe for any player. The Steelers are looking to improve after last season’s finish of 10-7 which put them third in the AFC South and even had a playoff appearance though they were eliminated by the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard round.