In what was a productive offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers upgraded their quarterback room. The group was completely overhauled in one offseason for the second time in franchise history. They enter the season with veteran Russell Wilson and young-but-experienced Justin Fields as their top quarterbacks. Mike Tomlin has stated that Wilson enters training camp as the favorite to win the job. But the Steelers would be better off long-term if Justin Fields wins the quarterback battle.
Pittsburgh Steelers Are Better Off If Justin Fields Wins Quarterback Battle
Get a Look Before Free Agency
While he has undoubtedly struggled so far in his career, there is hope that Justin Fields will improve in a better offense. He surely didn’t have a lot to work with on the Chicago Bears. Pittsburgh made it a point to improve their offensive line this offseason, particularly in the draft. If their draft picks prove successful, this Steelers offensive line will be better than anything Fields played behind in Chicago. The Steelers have a strong rushing attack, too, which would help create opportunities for Fields in the passing game and as a runner.
Fields is only under contract with the Steelers through this season. If he really will improve in a better situation, it would be optimal for Pittsburgh to know that before Fields hits free agency next year. They’ll never know if Fields can live up to his potential if he doesn’t get on the field. While Wilson is likely a better quarterback than Fields right now, he is near the end of his career. If Fields plays well, the Steelers could have their quarterback of the future. If he doesn’t, they know they’ll need to prioritize a quarterback in next year’s draft. But if he doesn’t see the field, they’ll never know.
Unlikely to Win This Year
The Steelers are probably set to be a better team in 2024 than they were a year ago. Their quarterback play can’t possibly be worse, and their offensive line should be much better. They do have pretty big holes at wide receiver and cornerback as they currently stand, although they have the cap space to make a big move at one of those positions.
Even after their improvements, the Steelers are still fighting an uphill battle to be true contenders this year. Quarterback is the most important position on the field. And while Wilson is a big improvement over Kenny Pickett, he is still worlds behind the AFC’s top dogs like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, and more. In a perfect world, the Steelers could give any team a run for their money this year. They probably won’t, though.
If Wilson isn’t good enough to win a Super Bowl this year, Pittsburgh is better off getting a look at Justin Fields. Wilson is definitely still good enough to get the Steelers to the nine-win mark. But that wouldn’t really accomplish anything other than leaving Pittsburgh in quarterback purgatory – not good enough to win a championship, too good to get a high draft pick. As previously mentioned, if Fields gets his audition and fails, Pittsburgh knows they are still looking for their quarterback of the future.
The Downside
There is one obvious downside to Justin Fields becoming the Steelers starting quarterback. If he plays more than half of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps this year, the sixth-round pick given up to acquire him becomes a fourth-round pick. That isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things, though. A chance to see if they have their future quarterback or if they are back to square one is worth losing a fourth-round pick.
The bottom line is that Pittsburgh has been in quarterback purgatory since Ben Roethlisberger started his end-of-career decline. They have consistently had just good enough quarterback play to be in the playoff picture (giving themselves a later draft pick) but not good enough to truly compete. Russell Wilson is more of the same. Justin Fields, on the other hand, is a potentially high-reward player. He might be Pittsburgh’s next franchise quarterback, but if he’s not, they’ll know they need to keep looking.
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