Mike Tomlin raised eyebrows with his controversial decision to bench quarterback Justin Fields and hand the reins to Russell Wilson. He went so far as to accept personal accountability for the consequences, saying he’d “go Lone Ranger” on this call. Well, after that Steelers-Jets game, what’s left to be said? Tomlin took a gamble, and it paid off, though maybe it was never a gamble to begin with.

Russell Wilson celebrated with a post on X, “Team W! Full of Gratitude! “By FAITH”,” he said. It’s clear he’s been itching to get back on the field for absolute ages. That’s the reason he’s here in the first place. The Steelers are paying him the absolute minimum they’re allowed to pay a veteran, but we have a feeling he’d have accepted less. His message shows he’s still a team player, and that he’s grateful for the opportunities he’s been afforded.

After a slightly shaky first half against the Jets, Wilson came into true form, and was a delight to watch on the field. He ended the game with an impressive 264 passing yards, with 2 touchdown passes to his name. An enviable start to anybody’s season, especially given he was benched for the tail end of 2023. Though Justin Fields had a fantastic start to his season, with the 3 win streak, he’s fallen off since then. The Wilson we saw yesterday was a combination of experience, talent, and sheer hunger.

It couldn’t have been without reason that Mike Tomlin named him his ‘Pole Position‘ this offeason. You can’t ignore the fact that Wilson’s a Super Bowl winning quarterback, though that was more than a decade ago. His performance on the field showed he’s clearly still got what it takes. Wilson has managed to succeed (at least for now) despite the premature criticism of Tomlin’s decision.

Why was Mike Tomlin chewed out for picking Wilson?

Former Bills’ head coach Rex Ryan was one of many voices that was vehement Mike Tomlin was messing up big time by picking Wilson. Tomlin was quick to defend himself, but the arguments against him were not without merit. “The kid? You’re gonna blame it on Fields? You got a chance to have a franchise quarterback here. Russell Wilson, we know, is not the long-term answer for this football team. You have it in your building with this kid at quarterback, Justin Fields,” Ryan pointed out.

And he’s objectively right. Russell Wilson is 35 now, and you might be able to get a couple good years out of him yet, but for how long? Plus, he’s only with them on a one-year-contract. Now they’ve taken a gamble on him. He might want to sign on for longer, but that’s a different story. Justin Fields is the man to invest in if the Steelers want to build something long term and that’s what people have been saying since game 1.

It just remains to be seen if switching to Wilson mid-season was the right call for the Steelers campaign, but Tomlin’s ready to bet big.