NFL insider shares bold Steelers QB prediction for Raiders game

As noted by Kevin Patra of the NFL's website, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed on Friday that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will "probably" serve as the Pittsburgh Steelers' primary backup behind Justin Fields when 3-2 Pittsburgh plays at the 2-3 Las Vegas Raiders this coming Sunday afternoon. 

During an appearance on the Raiders Podcast Network, league insider Mike Garafolo of NFL Network predicted that Wilson would take meaningful snaps at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium. 

"I know Mike Tomlin is eager to make it happen," Garafolo said about Wilson playing versus the Raiders, as shared by Joe Clark of Steelers Depot. "It seems like he's been in Russ' corner the whole way. When [Tomlin] made the decision for [Wilson] to be the starter, it wasn't a consensus, I would say, within the Steelers' building. So I'll say at some point, for some reason, one reason or another, we will see Russell Wilson in this game."

Wilson didn't play across the season's first five weeks due to a lingering calf injury, and Tomlin acknowledged on Friday that the 35-year-old needs to knock "the rust off" before he's ready to start against a live defense. With that said, Mike Florio of NBC Sports/Pro Football Talk raised eyebrows when he claimed earlier this week that Tomlin "wants" to play Wilson over Fields, even though some in the organization may feel differently about the situation. 

It's believed that Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith think the Pittsburgh offense will be better with a healthy Wilson under center. According to ESPN stats, the Steelers enter the weekend ranked 23rd in the NFL in total offense (299.4 yards per game) and 26th in scoring (18.4 points per contest). Perhaps worst of all, as it pertains to Fields' desire to remain Pittsburgh's QB1, he's now lost back-to-back starts after he began the season with three consecutive victories. 

Per Adam Miller of Steelers Depot, analyst Chase Daniel of The Athletic is among those who believe Fields will essentially be playing for his job against Las Vegas. If Garafolo is correct, Fields won't be able to do much to keep Wilson from making his official Steelers debut versus the Raiders en route to possibly earning the nod for the Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets on Oct. 20.