Steelers OC: QB battle was decided by who had the best deep ball

Steelers’ OC Arthur Smith stated that while Justin Fields had a solid deep-ball, Russell Wilson’s amazing deep-ball forced the teams hand.

While the decision to start Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson over Justin Fields in last week’s contest was polarizing, to say the least, Head Coach Mike Tomlin appeared to make the right call. No specific rhyme or reason was given for the decision, other than Tomlin’s desire to ‘win championships.’ 

It confused former players, analysts, and fans, especially since Fields had led the Steelers to an impressive 4-2 record through six games. However, Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith shed some light on why the decision to start Wilson over Fields was simpler than people made it out to be. 


It seems Wilson’s talent in throwing his immaculate deep ball, as displayed throughout Week 7’s contest, was a huge reason he got his opportunity to showcase his signal calling in 2024. This ‘greed’ on the offensive side of the ball is much appreciated, as although Fields’ athleticism is impressive, the passing game overall has become an area of concern in recent years for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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