The Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly face a fork in the road heading into Week 7. Head coach Mike Tomlin could continue to start quarterback Justin Fields, who has posted a 4-2 record to begin this season. Or he could return to Russell Wilson, the veteran former Super Bowl winner But it sounds like the decision makes little difference to Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
The veteran Steelers captain voiced his confidence in both quarterbacks during the October 17 episode of his “Not Just Football” podcast.
“We ride with both quarterbacks. We think both of them can have success,” Heyward said. “It’s not a shot at either [quarterback]. I think when you look at these two, these guys are in here to win, and they’re doing that.
“I’m not going to try and predict or be in somebody’s mind of what they think, but as a player on this team, I will make sure that both guys are support, and I will make sure that we give both of these quarterbacks a chance to win each of these games.”
It’s not surprising that Heyward has this mindset. If Wilson starts in Week 7 versus the New York Jets, he will be the fifth starting quarterback for the Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Thanks to the support the team has provided to those signal callers, Pittsburgh owns a 23-17 during that stretch.
Cameron Heyward’s Steelers Winning With Multiple Quarterbacks
A record six games above .500 isn’t all that impressive on paper. But the Steelers have had a lot of turnover behind center since Roethlisberger’s retirement.
Yet, the team has stayed competitive. That’s a difficult task with instability at quarterback.
Really, the turnover behind center for the Steelers began in 2019. Even since then, Pittsburgh has experienced success with different signal callers.
Of the six quarterbacks who have started for the Steelers over the past 5-plus seasons, only Mitch Trubisky has posted a losing record.
The Steelers are likely turning to Wilson in Week 7 to kick start their passing attack. With Fields, the team is ranked 28th in passing yards per game.
But regardless of how much better the passing game is or isn’t with Wilson, the expectation from Heyward and the Steelers is winning.
Russell Wilson Praises Justin Fields
One outside concern about a potential quarterback change for the Steelers is how it could disrupt the team locker room. Heyward doesn’t speak for every player, but his vote of confidence in either quarterback should dispel that concern at least a little.
So should how the two quarterbacks have spoken to the media ahead of Week 7. Fields provided a very mature response and took responsibility for why he likely won’t remain the team’s starter on October 20.
Wilson returned the love, praising Fields to the media on October 17.
“I think Justin [Fields] has done a great job,” Wilson said, via 93.7 The Fan. “He’s a tremendous quarterback.
“I’ve gone against him over the years. He’s a tremendous football player, great teammate.”
Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 start thanks in large part to his running ability. He has picked up third-and-longs with his legs and scored 5 rushing touchdowns this season. Fields has the same amount of passing touchdowns.
The Steelers have scored one offensive touchdown that didn’t involve Fields this season.
But Wilson could provide a spark to a bottom-5 passing offense. Last year with the Denver Broncos, Wilson averaged 204.7 passing yards per game, which is 20 yards more than Fields’ current average. Wilson also led the league with 4 fourth-quarter comebacks in 2023.
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Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Speaks Out on Looming QB Decision