QB Controversy in Pittsburgh? Brawl erupts at Steelers practice following hit on Justin Fields, Russell Wilson dealing with an injury

Say what you will, nothing compares to the intensity of emotions on a football field. A heated altercation broke out today at the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp following a hit on Justin Fields.

According to reports, veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts tackled Fields during a read option play, which upset rookie Mason McCormick and several other offensive linemen.

Brawl Erupts at Steelers Practice

THINGS GETTING HEATED 🍿

AFC Northing football isn’t soft pic.twitter.com/5GA264nrnO

— PickensBurgh🫡 (Tino) (@PickensBurgh) July 31, 2024

Scuffles often happen during training camp, and Steelers coaches might value the enthusiasm, especially from a rookie.

Head coach Mike Tomlin recently confirmed that Fields will start the season as the backup quarterback behind Russell Wilson. Despite this, it’s evident that his teammates fully support him, something Tomlin likely found encouraging.

QB Controversy in Pittsburgh?

While Tomlin may find it encouraging I can’t help but wonder, how do Steelers teammates actually feel about the quarterback situation?

National media outlets are buzzing with arguments that Fields, a former first-round pick, should be the frontrunner to start in Pittsburgh.

However, the Steelers are firm in their belief that Wilson is “the guy” despite the 35-year-old currently sidelined by a calf injury.

Can Fields seize the opportunity and turn it into a genuine competition?

As a Philadelphia sports website, we are all too familiar with a quarterback controversy. It’s never a fun road to go down, even more so when Fields has already shown some promise during his time with the Chicago Bears.

A bad stretch of performances from Russell Wilson could easily have Western Pennsylvania questioning whether or not Justin Fields deserves first team reps.

Ever since he left Seattle, things haven’t been great for Wilson in general. Based on personalities alone, we all know Russell Wilson tends to be somewhat of a cornball.

Wilson struggled in 2022 during his first season with a bad Denver Broncos team, posting a passer rating of 84.4 with 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games.

Last season, while still playing on a bad Denver Broncos team, Wilson bounced-back, posting a passer rating of 98.0 with 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in 15 games.

As for Justin Fields, he passer rating of 85.2 with 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 15 games in 2022 – his second season in the NFL with the Bears.

Last year, Fields posted a passer rating of 86.3 with 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 13 games. Everyone knows the Bears aren’t exactly a QB Factory so it’s hard to judge Fields based on his time in Chicago.

This is an organization that has struggled to find a franchise quarterback since, who, Jay Cutler in 2015? And yes, calling Jay Cutler a a franchise quarterback doesn’t really work either.

Over the past decade, the Bears have started the following quarterbacks under center:

Matt Barkley, Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, Mitchell Trubisky, Mike Glendon, Chase Daniel, Nick Foles, Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, Trevor Siemian, Nathon Peterman, Tyson Bagent.

Point being: I think a lot of people are high on Fields given the numbers he did put up and the situation he was drafted into while playing for the Bears so don’t look now, but there is a case building to turn Steelers fans into believing that the real No. 1 in Pittsburgh is not named Russell Wilson and it could turn into a reality as soon as this season.

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