Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gets Serious Warning From Hall Of Famer About Starting Russell Wilson

The Pittsburgh Steelers made some wild moves at quarterback during the 2024 offseason, bringing in veteran quarterback Russell Wilson and the exciting younger quarterback Justin Fields. There was a lot of debate about who would be best suited to help the Steelers win games in 2024. However, Mike Tomlin seemed pretty determined to give Wilson the starting job, though he never publicly confirmed it until Week 1 was about to kick off. 

Then, before the game, Wilson decided he couldn't play due to a reactivated calf injury, telling Fields it was his time to step up. Fields did a solid job in Wilson's absence, but now all signs point to Wilson making his first regular season start in the black and gold Sunday night against the New York Jets.

Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe recently discussed the Steelers' quarterback situation on his show Nightcap with Chad Johnson. Sharpe analyzed Tomlin’s decision to start Wilson despite Fields showing a ton of promise. Sharpe didn’t hold back, pointing out that the uncertainty at quarterback could be problematic for the Steelers as the season progresses. He argued that Tomlin’s decision-making is now under the microscope.

"Mike Tomlin needs to be very careful here, Ocho," Sharpe said. "He needs to be very, very careful here. All I'll say is this. He better beat the Jets. He better win against the Jets. All I'll say."

Sharpe believes the pressure is now on both Tomlin and Wilson to deliver a win against the Jets. 

If they fail, this decision could reflect poorly on the Steelers and especially on Tomlin. He went on to explain why he thinks Tomlin is walking a fine line by choosing to go back to Wilson, suggesting the coach is taking a significant risk with this move.

"The question is, and we didn't see enough, but when people say you can't lose your job to injury, yes you can," Sharpe said. "Mike Shanahan told us like, 'Look, you could lose your job if you get injured and the guy comes in and he's playing better than you before you got injured.' It's his job right now. We didn't see Russ play in the regular season, so we don't know what he looks like in meaningful play, but boy Mike Tomlin needs to be very careful with this situation. This is a powder keg."

Sharpe believes there’s no feasible way for Tomlin to revert to Fields if Wilson struggles. 

"I don't know how you go back to Justin Fields," Sharpe said. "I don't."

While Sharpe raises some valid points, it’s a bit dramatic to suggest that the Steelers couldn’t return to Fields if things go south for Wilson. Throughout the entire 2024 offseason, Tomlin maintained that Wilson was in the driver's seat but never officially named anyone the starter until just before Week 1. 

Steelers' George Pickens Accidentally Leaked The Starting Quarterback

Then, as the Jets game approached, Tomlin indicated he knew who would start but opted not to disclose it to the media. Moments later, star wide receiver George Pickens accidentally revealed that Wilson would be making his first start.

Tomlin's handling of the quarterback situation has been somewhat unconventional, but that's consistent with his approach in the past. While Sharpe views the decision to bench Fields in favor of Wilson as a significant risk, Tomlin doesn’t seem to share that perspective. 

He trusts both Fields and Wilson's mentalities and is confident in their abilities. Tomlin is eager to see what the 35-year-old former Super Bowl champion has left to offer, believing that he can still contribute to the team's success.

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