It’s easy to assume that the situation with the Steelers quarterback will be resolved.
But do you see any signs of this?
The quarterback “battle” invented by the national media now appears to be becoming a reality. It was not called for, but perhaps it was born out of Russell Wilson’s calf injury early in training camp and sparked by the poor performances of Wilson and Justin Fields.
Who would have thought that the screamers at ESPN would turn out to be visionaries? (This time.)
Wilson still holds the “pole position,” as Mike Tomlin said and Oppenheimer parroted. The application of a racing term to the quarterback room seems prophetic. Coming soon: “Crash and Burn.”
Fields has better legs than Wilson, but like Wilson, gets sacked too often. Fields is Lamar Jackson Lite. Very light. Alcohol-free and left open until it’s flat. No kick.
Wilson seems to be past his prime. You can pick out statistics and moments that prove otherwise, but that’s the reality. Wilson is 35 and almost at the end. Pretty close, if not exactly.
Fields is 25 and athletic, but that’s about it. He doesn’t know how to play quarterback. He’s not going to suddenly learn. He’s a turnover machine and, like Wilson, holds onto the ball too long.
Who will be the Steelers’ quarterback?
Maybe it should be Mason Rudolph.
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That can’t be. But maybe the Steelers should have kept Rudolph.
The quarterback situation is another chapter in the recent history of the Steelers’ haphazard management.
At the end of last season, Rudolph got his first significant opportunity since starting eight games in 2019, his second year with the team.
Rudolph started the last three games, won them all, took the Steelers to the playoffs, achieved a passer rating of 118, completed 74.3% of his throws and gave the team the best quarterback performance since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Added bonus: Rudolph’s success upset Kenny Pickett and caused dominoes to fall, causing Pickett to mercifully flee town.
Sure, Rudolph lost the playoff game against Buffalo. But the Steelers were lucky to make the playoffs, and that’s largely thanks to Rudolph.
Rudolph’s reward was a one-way ticket to Palookaville. That is, to Tennessee. Where he will serve as a reserve.
At the very least, the Steelers should have re-signed Rudolph and let him compete with whoever for the starting quarterback spot. With Fields, if the Steelers had gotten Fields sooner. (Although it would have been foolish of Rudolph to trust the Steelers.)
It was stupid to drop Rudolph after he played well.
Rudolph was playing for his career at the end of last season and wanted to get the Steelers into the playoffs. There was a lot at stake. Every game had to be won and Rudolph did it.
Wilson and Fields weren’t convincing in Saturday’s loss to Buffalo. Sure, it’s only the preseason, but there’s no pressure. Not like last season, when Rudolph was under pressure.
Rudolph would have been comfortable with the personnel. Like everyone else, he would have had to adapt to the unpredictable genius of the new offensive coordinator.
It makes little sense to restructure the entire quarterback roster by signing a 35-year-old who is past his prime and a 25-year-old who was drafted in the first round, especially when both of their contracts are expiring.
Who will play quarterback in 2025? It’s the most important position in football, and there is no plan whatsoever.
But don’t worry: the hypocycloid is never wrong.
Unless it is. When will the Steelers organization be reprimanded for their mismanagement?
Tomlin is never fired. This removes responsibility for his decision-making process.
Wilson will start in Week 1. However, Fields will soon be the starting quarterback.
Neither of them will play as well as Rudolph did in the final three games of last season.
