If Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is certainly beginning Russell Wilson over Justin Fields, he isn’t doing so with out cautious consideration for the locker room dynamics, former NFL veteran Chris Lengthy mentioned on the Wealthy Eisen Present yesterday. He is aware of the gamers will assist the transfer earlier than he does it—that they might assist any transfer he makes.
“He’s an excellent supervisor of his crew”, Lengthy mentioned of Tomlin’s dealing with of the Steelers over time. “The man’s not a play caller; he’s a head coach. And these are the selections he lives and dies with. I feel he’s made sufficient of those to know the way [starting Russell Wilson over Justin Fields is] gonna go over within the locker room. And I don’t suppose he would make the choice if the locker room was against it”.
Tomlin named Russell Wilson QB1 again in August, however Justin Fields began the primary six video games as a consequence of damage. Wilson injured his calf to open coaching camp after which aggravated the damage main as much as the common season. Whereas the Steelers slow-walked his restoration, he practiced absolutely final week for the primary time. Tomlin confirmed that Wilson will see first-team snaps this week and is a candidate to begin.
The Steelers signed Russell Wilson as a free agent in March, and shortly thereafter traded for Justin Fields. They solely pulled the set off on the commerce after dealing Kenny Pickett, who himself requested the commerce.
Whereas Tomlin paid lip service to a contest in coaching camp between Wilson and Fields, Wilson persistently held “pole place”. Fields noticed loads of alternatives to state his case, nevertheless, as a consequence of Wilson’s time misplaced as a consequence of damage. No person can say that the Steelers didn’t get sufficient of a have a look at him to make a good analysis.
However Fields has began six video games and has the Steelers at 4-2. He has made performs, together with together with his legs, scoring 5 touchdowns. For all intents and functions, his teammates have handled him as a starter, even with Russell Wilson there. Chris Lengthy defined the locker room standpoint in such a state of affairs, from his perspective.
“As a place participant, we’re in our personal little silos, and in the end, we wish what’s finest for the crew”, he mentioned of the Wilson and Fields dynamic in Pittsburgh. “We’re all gonna have diverse opinions about what’s finest for the crew”.
He contrasted the Steelers’ present state of affairs with what he went by means of with the Eagles in 2017, when Carson Wentz tore his ACL, they usually needed to flip to Nick Foles. Russell Wilson is now wholesome, however Justin Fields has accomplished sufficient to win.
“This can be a extra sophisticated state of affairs the place a man’s gotten you off to a scorching begin, and consequently, perhaps what you come away pondering is, ‘This can be a determination that might have an effect on our ceiling in a optimistic means’”, Lengthy concluded. “And perhaps increase the ground. And I feel perhaps by elevating the ground you increase the ceiling for this crew, the best way they play”.
Whereas Fields is by far the much less skilled participant, the fact is that the Steelers have seen far much less of Wilson. All of a sudden the borderline Corridor of Famer is the unknown amount they wish to discover. It’s not typically that you’ve got that kind of participant sitting on the bench. And I’m positive the locker room may be very conscious of that (and, apparently, of a urine odor). Everyone can have their opinions about what the Steelers ought to do, even inside, however all people additionally respects Tomlin—and Wilson.