Justin Fields decision finalized as Russell Wilson's Pittsburgh Steelers status changes

Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, is back on the field but not leading the pack. The nine-time Pro Bowler was sidelined for the first five games of the 2024 NFL season with a stubborn hamstring injury from preseason.

Wilson has now made his return to full practice for the first time this year , yet he's sticking with the second-team offense to avoid disrupting Justin Fields's rhythm, as per head coach Mike Tomlin. Fields has steered the Steelers to a 3-2 start, even though their offense ranks only 26th in the league and relies heavily on T. J. Watt and a staunch defense.

In the recent Sunday night game, which ended in a 20-17 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys, Fields managed 15-of-27 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. This season, the usually agile quarterback is averaging a career-low 34.4 rushing yards per game.

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When quizzed about potential changes to his lineup, Tomlin kept his cards close to his chest. "We're in a little bit different place as I stand here today with Russ," he remarked, reports the Mirror .

"First we'll see if he's able to obviously pull it off and get through the session, and if he does, what the quality of that works like, his ability to protect himself."

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Ex-quarterback Dan Orlovsky insisted on Monday that the Steelers should continue with Fields at the helm.

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky didn't hold back on his views about Wilson playing, during a segment on 'Get Up': "I would say that's the wrong decision [to put Wilson in]," he said, and went on to detail Pittsburgh's issues: "The offensive line is not very good. They're not running the football nearly as well as I thought they would. The two things that are hurting in their pass game. There are two or three clips where you want to see Justin's eyes in a little bit of a better or more consistent place."

He also commented on the team's challenges, noting, "The team's top offensive lineman, James Daniels, is out for the season with an Achilles injury. Top running back Najee Harris is averaging a dismal 3.3 yards per carry and the receivers, aside from George Pickens, have been underwhelming in supporting Fields."

Orlovsky continued by addressing the issue of open receivers, saying, "There's no one getting open that much for this offense," and emphasized the need for improvement: "George Pickens is unbelievably talented, but he's not winning that much and they're certainly not getting them the football enough early on in the football games."

He identified what he believes is the most critical problem: "They cannot beat man coverage. So if you have to ask me really what's the fix for Pittsburgh's offense, it is not the quarterback. It is, they need a pass catcher opposite George Pickens. They become a viable threat."

Despite a promising start to the season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has kept his cards close to his chest regarding his future plans for the quarterback position. "After the team jumped to a 3-0 start, Tomlin refused to answer questions about who would be his starting quarterback long-term. 'When Russ gets to an appropriate point of health and we have a decision to make, I'll make it and I'll announce it and I'll be really transparent about it.'".

"Until then, I don't care how many ways you guys ask me, I got no intentions of making the decision that's unnecessary at this juncture."

The Steelers are now focusing on rejuvenating their offense in an upcoming match they're expected to dominate. They'll be up against a 1-4 Las Vegas Raiders team next Sunday, a team still missing their key player, star wide receiver Davante Adams.