When it comes to the NFL’s cold-blooded business, even a superstar like Russell Wilson isn’t immune to scrutiny and criticism. In the unforgiving steel mills of Pittsburgh, that harsh reality might be closing in on the veteran QB faster than a speeding Jack Lambert. Just ask NFL insider John Middlekauff, who dropped a truth bomb on The Colin Cowherd Podcast that’ll make Steelers Nation’s jaws hit the floor.
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The analyst did not hesitate in remarking, “If it got really bad, you could cut them and you wouldn’t even think twice. It is a performance-based business. So, no ones gonna want to hear anything except touchdown passes. The guy we have seen a couple of years. I don’t know, I don’t know if his confidence is gone but he has been a pretty marginal player for three years now.”
That’s a prime-time blindside hit for a guy who hoisted the Lombardi and was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year some good years back. But Middlekauff’s candid take spoke volumes about the Steelers’ no-nonsense culture that demands grinders, not showmen. As he bluntly stated, “When you think TJ Watt and Minka Fitzpatrick, you never say the word ‘brand.’ You think a**-kickers and football players.” And Cowherd mentioned how Russ is more of a brand.
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The perceived disconnect between the Steelers’ mentality and Wilson’s NFL image has pundits like Middlekauff ready to hand the keys to the franchise over to the young buck Justin Fields. “If I am a fan, we are 0-2, I am not watching Russell Wilson….If I was a Steeler fan, I just want to see Justin Fields right out. I wouldn’t even wanna see Russell Wilson. I just like can we resurrect this guy?” claimed Middlekauff, not blinking an eye while choosing Fields over Wilson.
Middlekauff proclaimed, echoing the sentiments of fans who’d gladly trade Wilson’s star power for Fields’ gritty, blue-collar moxie – the kind that would make legends like Mean Joe Greene and Terry Bradshaw proud. After all, this is a town where “Six Rings” is more than just a phone number. It’s a way of life for the Steelers army.
Overall, the analyst did not hesitate to imply that if Russ can’t deliver touchdowns and W’s, the Steelers won’t hesitate to cut bait and roll with the upstart Fields – a calculated risk, but one that could reignite the flame of a franchise desperate to reclaim its glory days.
Justin Fields’ emergence from kick return speculation to QB1 Contender
Remember when the mere whispers of Justin Fields returning kicks for the black and gold sent shockwaves through Pittsburgh? Well, the phenom from Ohio put that noise to bed quicker than Ben Roethlisberger could say “No-no-no-no-no-no-YES!”
USA Today via Reuters
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Fields didn’t mince words, laughing off the kick return chatter with a blunt on Tuesday, via The Post-Gazette.“Nah, I’m not here to do that. It was kind of a joke, to be honest with you.” For a Second-Team All-American and two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, that’s about as savage a shutdown as you’ll find this side of Deion Sanders’ prime.
Fields made it crystal from Day 1: “I’m definitely competing. Russ knows that. We’re competing against each other every day.” That’s the kind of competitive fire that’ll have Steelers diehards everywhere doing the Terrible Towel twirl. After all, this is a franchise built on legends like Bradshaw, Bettis, and Big Ben – players who wouldn’t flinch at a little quarterback controversy.
Just ask NFL icon Shannon Sharpe, who backed Fields’ killer instinct to the fullest, stating on his livestream today, “I don’t have a problem with Justin Fields saying…I understand I’m coming in as the backup. I don’t see myself as the backup, and my play is gonna be so good, I ain’t gonna be the backup.”
That’s the mindset that separates superstars from journeymen. And for a 25-year-old athlete who set the single-game QB rushing record with 2,562 passing yards and earned two Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year nods, the potential is off the charts. Thus, the quarterback battle is about much more than who takes the first snap – it’s about shaping the Steelers’ future identity.
Will they remain loyal to Wilson’s fading star after he struggled mightily in Denver the last two seasons? Or will Fields’ electrifying talent and iron-willed determination ultimately overpower Wilson’s spot?
Written by
Edited by
Aazima Basharat