With Russell Wilson returning to practice this week as a full participant and saying he’s ready, the pressure is on to keep Justin Fields’ starting job. There’s a good chance Wilson will be active in Las Vegas on Sunday, and if Fields makes a bad play or two or is slow again in the first half, there’s a good chance things will sway in Wilson’s favor.
Not everyone thinks so. Some believe Fields’ job shouldn’t be in jeopardy at all. Former league MVP Cam Newton would also be firmly counted in that group.
“Honestly, I’d like to see Russell Wilson used as trade value,” Newton said in his debut Friday. ESPN’s first take. “The fact that the Miami Dolphins haven’t reached out to Pittsburgh makes no sense to me, especially in this particular situation at this point. We’ve seen enough in Pittsburgh to deserve the honor of Justin Fields. I think, and they said it without actually saying it. The whole team’s morale is fighting for him. And I don’t know. In the end, that might be too deep for Russell Wilson.”
One of the big things the Steelers needed from a quarterback this year, besides the actual play on the field, was the ability to lead a young group. To Fields’ credit, his teammates seem to be rallying around him. Normally, a 3-0 start to the season would solve the problem, but the Steelers are currently on the brink of losing their third straight game. It’s already starting to look like the offensive line is falling apart at the seams.
After starting the season with three straight wins, there has been talk about the quality of the Steelers’ opponents. But through five weeks, the Atlanta Falcons are 3-2, the Denver Broncos are 3-2, and the Los Angeles Chargers are 2-2.
“They’ve had some quality wins,” Newton noted.
This formula worked for the first three weeks of the season, but it’s starting to break down. Due to injuries to the offensive line, the running game was not functioning properly, and the defense began to concede points due to injury issues. Under these circumstances, Fields was unable to elevate the group to overcome the problem.
Trading Russell Wilson could make a lot of sense, but the Steelers would need to find a willing trade partner. The Miami Dolphins or Las Vegas Raiders seem like the two most logical destinations, but I haven’t heard a peep about that from any prominent insiders other than pure speculation. If the team were to acquire Wilson, he would be a very cheap addition.
I would at least consider a trade involving Wilson under the right circumstances, as Fields is 25 years old and much more likely to be the future of the franchise. Wilson also has a no-trade clause, so he would have to agree to a contract as well.
I still want to see him run the offense, at least in regular season games, and I think Mike Tomlin and the Steelers do too.
