How sure are we that Russell Wilson will ever start for Steelers?

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Russell Wilson fully intending to have him start. Their plans are why Kenny Pickett requested a trade out of Pittsburgh this offseason, and the arrival of Justin Fields via trade wasn't going to change those plans.

The only thing that could possibly change Pittsburgh's plans of having Wilson start would be an injury, and sure enough, that injury took place. The 35-year-old suffered a calf injury, forcing him to miss their Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons and it will likely rob him of a chance at revenge against the Denver Broncos.

With Fields set to earn another start, the question has to be asked. How sure are we that Wilson will ever get his chance in black and gold?

What are the odds Russell Wilson never starts for the Steelers?

Assuming Wilson does not take the field in Week 2, which is the expectation as of this writing, Fields will have another chance to start and win for the Steelers. Fields was far from stellar in Week 1, but he did lead the team to six scoring drives and didn't turn the ball over. From a game management perspective, he was solid, even if he didn't make any huge throws.

Fields is far from perfect as a passer, but what separates him from Wilson and gives him more upside is his ability to run. He ran for 57 yards in addition to his 156 passing yards in their Week 1 win.

His matchup in Week 2 is that of the Broncos who looked more overmatched than their 26-20 loss at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks would indicate. Rookie Bo Nix threw for just 136 yards and a pair of interceptions in an uninspiring performance. How well can he do against a Steelers defense that held a high-powered Falcons offense to just 10 points?

Let's say the Steelers get a win against a Broncos team that is not expected to do much this season and improve to 2-0. The next team on deck is the Los Angeles Chargers in the Steelers home opener.

If Wilson can't play Week 3 either, which is extremely possible, are the Chargers unbeatable? They might enter the game with a 2-0 record, but their offense struggled for most of their Week 1 win, and beating the Carolina Panthers wouldn't mean much in terms of their ability to beat the Steelers.

If Fields can defeat the Chargers at home and improve to 3-0, can the Steelers really afford to bench him? Even if he doesn't light the world on fire in his games, how can you bench a starter who has won three games in a row? If he throws costly interceptions or fumbles the ball in a big spot then sure, but if Fields looks like he did in Week 1, is it really worth benching him for Russell Wilson?

An argument can even be made that benching Fields after a Week 2 win wouldn't be smart. Changing what's working doesn't feel like the best idea.

Fields has more to prove, but if he wins the next game or two, a serious conversation is going to have to be had about whether Wilson should actually be plugged in as the starter once he is finally able to return from injury. He'll have to win the games first, but if he does, it'll only get harder to switch things up.