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    • The Steelers quarterback dilemma: Assessing Russell Wilson and Justin Fields
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    The Steelers quarterback dilemma: Assessing Russell Wilson and Justin Fields

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    PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 28: Russell Wilson #3 and Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warm up prior to the game against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium on October 28, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

    PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 28: Russell Wilson #3 and Justin Fields #2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warm up prior to the game against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium on October 28, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

    The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback dilemma ended when Russell Wilson was medically cleared from an offseason calf injury. Justin Fields returned to Wilson’s backup role and debuted his limited package in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.

    Both players bring unique strengths and weaknesses, but the jury is still out on whether this was the right decision.

    Pro Football Network’s Ben Rolfe recently put it this way:

    13) Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers

    Grade: C+

    Russell Wilson is the example of why we set a minimum of 100 attempts for these rankings. A week ago he would have been in the top five of these rankings, but on his fourth start he dropped down the rankings after ranking 26th for the week.

    Wilson has been good when he’s been able to operate from scratch this season, ranking eighth, but he’s ranked 28th when playing under pressure. Prior to this week, choosing Wilson as the starter over Fields seemed like a wise decision, but that is less decisive after the game against the Baltimore Ravens.

    14) Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

    Grade: C+

    It was a brave decision by the Pittsburgh Steelers to bench Justin Fields after a 4-2 start to the season. Fields had his best season in Pittsburgh, but the bar was low, and the numbers don’t suggest he should have remained the starting QB without question.

    There was a lot of promise in what Fields did, including ranking 10th in throwing under pressure and converting on third down. He didn’t perform particularly poorly on anything other than nYPA, which ranked 25th with a 6.1.

    Fields didn’t hurt the Steelers and is a great fill-in starter, but Wilson still gives Pittsburgh a slight advantage in the passing game.

    The Steelers need long-term stability under center, something they haven’t had since the Ben Roethlisberger era. While Wilson’s ceiling is enticing, his inconsistency creates uncertainty. Fields is much younger, still developing and shines with his athleticism.

    Pittsburgh’s quarterback dilemma will be most interesting to monitor early in the offseason, as both Wilson and Fields’ contracts expire at the start of the new NFL league year in March.

    More Steelers news!

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    This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers’ quarterback dilemma: Grading Russell Wilson and Justin Fields

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