Steelers fans have been very divided this week.

With some uncertainty as to what is going to happen at the quarterback position for the Steelers Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football, there are plenty of fans who have very strong opinions on what the Steelers should be doing. Some believe one player over the other has the ability to lead this team and there are major concerns with the alternative. What is surprising is the number of fans I’ve seen say this and the names are interchangeable.

If you are like me, more than the name of the player who is going to be quarterbacking the Steelers on Sunday night, I’m worried more about the performance. I just want to see quality play and a Steelers victory. The most important part is the Steelers victory. But for some fans, a number of which had made their determinations before either of these quarterbacks ever took a practice snap with the Steelers, it’s more about being correct in their assumptions than it is the Steelers having the best option on the field. And as I said before, I have seen this opinion towards both players.

There are some attributes that can be considered relatively equal between the two quarterbacks while others there is a stark difference. Justin Fields is a dynamic runner. Russell Wilson has the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl résumé. Can Fields continue to improve? Is Russell Wilson anywhere close to the quarterback that he once was? These are all valid points.

The decision of which quarterback that will receive the majority of playing time on Sunday is ultimately going to be decided by those who have the most information. While we have seen what Justin Fields can do in a six-game sample, we don’t really have a lot to go on with Russell Wilson. Is he the dynamic player he was in Seattle? Is he the player that Denver paid to go away? Because we aren’t watching what’s going on at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex during practice, it comes down to the coaches to make the decision.

Looking at all these things, there is one factor that can be applied to almost all the situations when it comes to weighing the two players. To me, it is the most important thing since it can be applied almost universally. So what is the ultimate determining factor and who’s going to be playing quarterback for the Steelers?

Trust.

Who does the coaching staff trust more? Over the last six weeks, it does not appear that they overly trust Justin Fields as pretty much the only time he was really let loose to go get the job done was when they were trailing by multiple scores against the Indianapolis Colts. Although that may not have been the only time, it is the one that stands out the most.

So if the Steelers don’t have a high level of trust in Justin Fields, do they have it in Russell Wilson? Is the Steelers offense still going to be the conservative, living-in-its-fears version we have seen in 2024 and the last few years where the most important thing isn’t scoring points but merely not turning the ball over?

Is there enough trust in Russell Wilson to open up the offense?

Even if you’re someone who believes Fields is the better quarterback, if the Steelers don’t trust him but do trust Wilson, giving better offense for that reason, then making the switch is a wise decision. Maybe while he’s not playing games the Steelers can develop that trust with Fields.

But do the Steelers even trust Russell Wilson?

I feel that since he’s arrived in Pittsburgh, Russell Wilson has received the “Ben Roethlisberger“ treatment. This was his job and, regardless of how well things were going, when he was ready to play it would still be his job. When Ben Roethlisberger missed games, even if the Steelers went undefeated in his absence, he was the starter when he came back. This is the way Steelers operated. Because this is the way things were, the Steelers had more trust in Ben Roethlisberger to just go out and play his game, take chances, and perform. They have not had this in any other quarterback since.

Is that what they may have in Russell Wilson?

If Russell Wilson was getting this treatment of where the job was always his whenever he was ready, does it mean the Steelers will treat him the same as they did with Roethlisberger and allow him free reign with the offense and not try to handcuff him in the name of taking care of the football? If so, this was the right call.

It’s easy for me to say I want to see more chances taken on offense as I haven’t had to deal with watching a game where those chances turned into multiple turnovers and the Steelers falling in a blowout loss. While this is possible, it’s just as possible the Steelers could show more signs of life. I know they don’t have all that many weapons on offense, but it could be more successful than what we’ve seen. Although this could be about which quarterback is in the game, it could be even more so how the coaches develop their game plan based on which quarterback it is. If the offensive freedom, or lack thereof, is the same under Russell Wilson as it was with Justin Fields, give me the quarterback who could at least do something with his legs. Otherwise what’s the point?

Are the Steelers going with Russell Wilson this week? Will we see a better offensive game plan? I guess we’ll just have to wait until Sunday night to find out.