The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired veteran quarterback Russell Wilson last offseason, quickly followed by them trading with the Chicago Bears to get Justin Fields.
The latter started out the year under center as a result of a calf injury to Wilson. But as soon as the veteran quarterback recovered, Fields was benched.
And not everyone liked that idea.
On a recent episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast, Albert Breer reported that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was one of the only people that thought benching Fields was the right move.
"I think people there would tell you that the Russell Wilson thing undermines so many things in the last month of the season and that a lot of that building really wanted them to go back to Justin Fields," Breer said. "And it was something where Tomlin was kind of, again, all on his own on that one."
"People in the building'' is a tricky thing. Players? Assistant coaches?
The "second-guess'' from then, by the way, can still be in play. Would the Steelers be better off in 2025 is Fields was still here?
Fields led the Steelers to a 4-2 record in the six games that he started in, racking up 1,106 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception. He was also able to show his elite scrambling ability with 289 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
As for Wilson, the team was 6-5 with him under center, but four of their losses were all in a row to end the season, leaving them with a 10-7 record on the season. While that is still solid, some think they could have competed for the lead in the AFC North if Fields had remained the starter.
Now, the young quarterback will be looking for a fresh start with the New York Jets, and the Steelers will be left wondering what would have happened if they had never benched him.
