The Pittsburgh Steelers gave Russell Wilson a chance in the preseason games, but the Super Bowl-winning quarterback failed to impress the fans. However, despite that, Mike Tomlin hasn’t budged from his stance and still sees Russ in the “pole position” to lead the team. But if Russ keeps faltering at his job, will the Steelers show the same faith in him?

This question became a point of debate on The Stinkin Truth Podcast with Mark Schlereth and the former Broncos lineman didn’t hold his thoughts back. Safe to say that the Steelers will give finite chances to Russell Wilson before they ultimately resort to Justin Fields just because they would like to try new things at that point.

Schlereth went on a tangent against Russell Wilson, but he thinks that the Steelers still have a chance at the playoffs if Wilson adheres to run plays designed by Arthur Smith. Per the host, the QB might not be so quick to admit the changes and that might hurt the team’s chances of winning. In fact, Russ must keep his convictions aside so the Steelers can win football games.

“The issue is, and this is what got Russ out of Seattle and out of Denver is: Russ isn’t willing to admit that he’s not good at stuff. He’s delusional and if you’re not willing to admit it then you can’t fix it, right?” Schlereth said on the podcast.

This prompted Evans to ask a very important question to Mark Schlereth. “Russell Wilson starts. How many games before he loses his job?” The answer to this question was simple, yet very complicated. However, Schlereth spoke with conviction and justified his claims.

“I’m going to say 5 [games],” Schlereth said. “I just think that the way the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have to be built themselves on is the running game and using the quarterback in that as a quarterback element the run game.” The host then went on to describe the Steelers could spit the defenses in half and use the QB as a de facto running back.

That’s where Justin Fields kicks in. Apparently, Schlereth thinks that the Steelers should approach the game how the Ravens do. Lamar Jackson often takes off with the ball and the former Broncos lineman thinks the Steelers should utilize Justin Fields in the same manner. He also happens to think that Fields is a “dynamic son of a gun” who has the capability of keeping the defenses “awake at night.”

He quoted the Detroit coach Dan Campbell saying, “When Justin Fields runs the ball, that keeps me up at night. That’s what I’m worried about. We’ve got to find a way to stop that.” The Steelers’ defense is a fortress and Justin Fields’ run game might be used in conjunction with their defensive prowess to create more favorable outcomes. Keep in mind the fact that Fields rushed for 1,143 yards in the 2022 season with the Bears, this analysis makes sense.

But despite Schlereth’s nuanced assessment, the Steelers did something completely opposite.

Russell Wilson is more than a ‘pole position’ now

Despite the unsavory preseason, Mike Tomlin decided to completely double down on Russell Wilson. In fact, the Super Bowl winning QB is one of the four Steelers captains now. Wilson’s leadership, veteran status, and decision-making are the reasons behind the Steelers head coach’s decision.

“Russ’ resume is a unique one in terms of lift and success, and that tends to play a factor in the decision-making, but not from a decision-maker’s perspective,” Tomlin said Wednesday. “It’s just the fruit of his labor. He’s seen a lot and done a lot, and I think it was reflected in the way he played and conducted himself.”

Time will tell whether Russ’ “decision making” has improved or not. In his last two years with the Broncos, he took 100 sacks! Those numbers point out flaws in his decision making. Wilson going bust in the preseason was partly blamed on the Steelers O-Line during the preseason. That’s because some new faces in the O-Line who might not be aware of the protocol. Thankfully, the Steelers have their infamous defense to fall back on.