The Pittsburgh Steelers had a competitive starting quarterback battle throughout the offseason and training camp. That battle has concluded today as the team has named their starting quarterback for the upcoming season.
Pittsburgh Steelers Name Starting Quarterback
Throughout training camp, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have been battling for the starting quarterback job for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both quarterbacks are coming off of mediocre seasons as starters. Today, the Steelers have named their starting quarterback. Former Seahawks and Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will be the starter in Pittsburgh.
What To Expect
Wilson is coming off of a mediocre year in Denver. Pittsburgh is coming off of a season in which their passing offense averaged the 25th most yards per game in the league. Last season, Wilson ranked 19th in passing yards per game among quarterbacks. On the bright side, rising star receiver George Pickens will be a great weapon for Wilson, who is trying to revive his prime years in a new offense.
Wilson will likely have a season similar to last. In all likelihood, he will be a game manager for the Steelers, similar to Denver last season. Wilson completed 66.4% of his passes last season along with a touchdown to interception of 26-8. However, he only threw for 3,070 yards. These stats from last season show Wilson was a conservative passer in the pocket. He did not take many risks, as evidenced by his 8 interceptions, and he did not take many deep shots, as shown by his low yardage total. Expect more of the same in his first year with the Steelers.
It would be pretty surprising to see this offense transform, especially the passing offense. It is safe to say Wilson will be a game manager once again, and the ground game won’t be enough to carry this offense, as they ranked middle of the pack in rushing yards per game last year. Wilson will have to recapture some magic from his time in Seattle to make this a top-10 offense.
Main Photo: Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports
