The Steelers Benched Justin Fields in Favor of Veteran QB Russell Wilson

When you see a new quarterback under center in the NFL, you can often assume that the team's starting quarterback got hurt. Of course, that's not always the case. Quarterbacks can be benched for poor play, or they can be suspended for behavior either on or off the field.

When many saw Russell Wilson starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers instead of Justin Fields, who had started the first six games for the team and led them to a 4-2 record, there were natural questions about why Russell had been tapped as the starter. Here's what we know about why they made that call.

Justin Fields is not hurt, but Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made the decision to bench him in favor of Russell Wilson. Given the success that the team has had with Justin, many wondered why they made the move. One central reason is that Russell was meant to be the starter but injured his calf in the preseason. What's more, the Steelers' success as a team has not been primarily because of Justin and the offense's success.

Instead, it's because their defense has been extraordinary. Ultimately, it seems like Mike thought that the team could be more explosive or dynamic with Russell as their starter, and the early returns on that decision seem to be correct. The team scored 37 points in a win against the Jets, which suggests that the team has a higher ceiling on the offensive side with Russell as the quarterback.

In addition to the fact that the offense might work better with Russell as the quarterback, the Steelers also made a deal with the Chicago Bears when they traded the quarterback to Pittsburgh. If Justin starts 51 percent of the snaps this season, the sixth-round pick that the Steelers gave up for the quarterback becomes a fourth-round pick instead.

That wouldn't be a huge sacrifice if the team was producing at an exceptionally high level, but given that Russell was slated to be the starter anyway, it's another factor that may have convinced the team that they should at least try to sit Justin.

The two quarterbacks are at very different points in their careers. Russell is nearing the end of his time in the league, so any success he has with the Steelers will not shape the team's future.

Justin, on the other hand, was trying to prove that he could be the team's long-term starter moving forward. Russell seems to have earned back the job for now, but if he is benched at some point in the season, it seems unlikely that he will be named the starter again at some point in the future.

It's also possible that both quarterbacks won't be with Pittsburgh for the long-term. Regardless, though, the formula that Mike Tomlin has put together has given the team a 5-2 record to start the year, which is nothing to sneeze at.