“It’s like asking a young Boy hey Boy you want Brussels sprouts or you want asparagus?” That’s how former NFL player Booger McFarland summed up the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ quarterback dilemma. In a league where dual-threat QBs are all the rage, the Steelers find themselves caught between a rock and a wall—or should we say, between a Wilson and a Fields?

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback conundrum has NFL fans on the edge of their seats. In one corner, we have Russell Wilson, the seasoned vet with a Super Bowl ring. In the other, Justin Fields, the young gun who rushed for a jaw-dropping 1,143 yards in 2022. Who’ll be left standing when the music stops?

Booger McFarland dropped a truth bomb that’s got everyone talking. “If you have two of something, you don’t have one,” McFarland quipped on ESPN. But here’s the kicker – he’s putting his money on Wilson, despite the rocky preseason showing. “If I had to choose one to start it would be Russell Wilson,” he stated, adding, “I would hope that at some point Russell’s experience and his ability to minimize the mistakes and minimize the turnovers would show up.”

Why Wilson? It’s all about that veteran savvy. But let’s not forget, he’s also coming off two less-than-stellar seasons with the Broncos. His preseason stats are far from impressive: 8-10 for 47 yards with zero points on the board. As James Jones of SPEAK pointed out, “Zero explosiveness, the offense doesn’t look that explosive. A lot of check-downs, right, and took a lot of sacks not mobile getting outside the pocket.”

On the flip side, we’ve got Fields, whose “athleticism is athleticism got him ran out of Chicago,” according to McFarland. Ouch. But there’s no denying the young professional’s got wheels. In the preseason game against the Bills, Fields went 11 for 17 over 92 yards and rushed for 42 yards on 8 carries. James Jones argued that the offense looks “way more explosive with him out there.” Yet, McFarland cautioned, “I don’t want to hear about Justin Fields athleticism… at some point that position you have to deliver the football down the field and right now neither one is doing a really good job of it.”

So, what’s a Steelers fan to do? Root for the steady hand of experience or the electric potential of youth? It’s like choosing between a reliable sedan and a flashy sports car. Sure, the sedan might get you there safely, but the sports car? That’s where the thrills are.

Preseason blues or regular season clues

Now, before we all start panicking or planning Super Bowl parties, let’s pump the brakes for a second. We’re talking about preseason games here. You know, those games where the scores don’t matter.

New Steelers OC Arthur Smith is practically begging us all to chill out. “Preseason could distort reality, good or bad. We’ve all seen it,” Smith said. He’s got a point. Remember last year when Kenny Pickett looked like the second coming of Terry Bradshaw in preseason? Yeah, that never happened.

The numbers don’t lie, but they might be fibbing a little. Between Wilson and Fields, the team has seen a neck-to-neck encounter in terms of their on-field performance. But as Smith reminds us, “You know that’s not their standard, and that’s not acceptable, but at the same time, you’d rather go through that now than have that happen Week 1.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin summed it up perfectly after the loss Bills: “You know, still not what we’re looking for. It was better in some areas but still JV in too many others.” JV? Ouch. That’s gotta sting for two guys trying to prove they’re varsity material. But Wilson’s not backing down. “We’re playing,” he said about the upcoming preseason finale. “Yeah, we’re all playing. I’m excited to get back on the field.”

But here’s the thing – preseason is like a dress rehearsal where half the cast is wearing the wrong costume and the other half forgot their lines. It’s messy, it’s confusing, and it rarely reflects the opening night performance. As Smith pointed out, his 2019 Titans offense scored 43 points in Week 1 after a lackluster preseason. So before we start writing off either Wilson or Fields, let’s remember – the real show hasn’t even started yet.