Russell Wilson's goal to take QB1 job away from Justin Fields just got more difficult

The Pittsburgh Steelers' ongoing QB "battle" takes another twist in Week 6, with Russell Wilson expected to be officially healthy and available as Justin Fields' backup. The Steelers have lost two straight going into a potential course-correction matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

While Russ is officially the backup for Week 6, the door has not closed on a return to the starting role he claimed during the preseason. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, there are folks around the league who believe Wilson will eventually boot Fields from the QB1 gig.

"Russell Wilson's full health in Pittsburgh could deepen the intrigue in Week 7," writes Foweler. "He's slated to be the backup to Justin Fields this weekend. Some people around the league believe Wilson will get the nod eventually, leaning on the fact that the team labeled him QB1 based on his command of the offense."

That said, Fields has earned the trust and respect of teammates and coaches, who all "love" him, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Russ was indeed named QB1 in preseason, but six weeks of Fields under center could be too much for the veteran to overcome.

"So while the big question hovering over every game has been,Will Mike Tomlin make the switch to Russell Wilson now?," writes Russini, "based on my read, the momentum Fields has built might make it impossible for a healthy Wilson to reclaim that spot at the top of the depth chart."

'Momentum' favors Justin Fields as Steelers QB1 over Russell Wilson moving forward

Frankly, the outcome of Sunday's game could go a long way toward determining which Steelers quarterback lines up under center in Week 7. A third-straight loss (against the Raiders of all teams) would shine a pretty harsh light on the Steelers offense. Las Vegas' defense has been in disarray all season and its offense is being turned over to the inexperienced Aidan O'Connell.

A 4-2 record looks a whole lot better than 3-3, and it becomes much easier to shelve Russ if the Steelers are back in the win column. That said, Pittsburgh's offense has not been great despite its above-.500 start. Fields can move the chains efficiently, but he lacks explosive arm talent and the Steelers are a smidge too dependent on the run game.

George Pickens has been making waves in the Steelers locker room, which is a telltale sign that things are starting to teeter on an uncomfortable ledge. Fields has all this alleged respect, but he's just not that effective. Many of the limitations that plagued Pittsburgh last season still plague them today, despite a change of coordinator and quarterback.

Is Russ the knight in shining armor, waiting to take Pittsburgh to the promised land? Of course not. There's a reason the Denver Broncos paid him the GDP of a small country to leave town and post up somewhere else. But, Russ did throw 26 touchdowns across 15 games last season while completing 66.4 percent of his passes. Turnovers were a problem (eight INTs, 10 fumbles), but Russ has the benefit of stature. He's a nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback and a Super Bowl champ. If the Steelers turn to him to liven up a slumbering offense, who could really blame them?

Fields has far more long-term upside to the Steelers organization and he should probably remain the starter as a result, but a loss on Sunday does complicate the matter. Narratives change quickly week to week in the NFL, and a bad loss to drop to .500 on the season probably alters how we (and league sources) talk about Justin Fields.