The Pittsburgh Steelers made some serious moves this offseason to upgrade their roster. Between bolstering the offensive line, adding two new quarterbacks, and adding depth to the defense, a few Steelers training camp battles should already be decided.
Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp Battles That Shouldn’t Be
Justin Fields vs Russell Wilson
When in doubt, a pro-con list can make a decision easier to make—quick pro-con list for the Steelers quarterback situation.
Justin Fields Pros:
- Could be the long-term starter if he plays well in 2024
- Dynamic with the ball in his hands both as a rusher and a deep ball passer
- Barely a year older than some rookies drafted in 2024
- Has immediately meshed with the offense and has the backing of the primary pass catcher in the offense
Russell Wilson Pros:
- Experience, has been in the league since Justin Fields was in middle school
- More responsible with the ball, less turnovers per game in 2023
- Better passer at this point in their careers
Justin Fields Cons:
- Footwork was a mess in Chicago, one of the longest times to throw of any quarterback
- Boneheaded mistakes reading coverages, two seasons over three percent interception percentage in three seasons
- Lower passing volume for the offense due to his rushing ability
Russell Wilson Cons:
- Unlikely to lead the team to a Super Bowl at this stage of his career, not dynamic enough to compete with Mahomes/Allen/Jackson in a shootout
- Not the team’s long term starter by any stretch of the imagination
- Descending player, even if he bounces back it won’t be for long
- Already dealing with an injury
If the team wants a shot at a top quarterback prospect in 2025, the team needs to be bad. If they start Russell Wilson, they’re going to be another middle of the road team that can’t make a deep run in the playoffs. Meanwhile, if they start Justin Fields, one of two things will happen. Ideally, Fields is good and now they don’t need a 2025 quarterback because they have one in the building who they can sign for cheap because he’s already been castoff from one team. Worst case scenario, he stinks, but the team does poorly because of it and has a better chance to re-roll in 2025. It’s a no brainer, but the team still hasn’t named Fields the starter. This one started as one of the key Steelers training camp battles, but should be clear as day to anyone watching camp now.
Wide Receiver Two: Van Jefferson vs Roman Wilson
This one is a little trickier, but they should just slap the table now. Jefferson should start. Every single day he’s making a play while Wilson is nursing an injury. It’s not to say Wilson can’t earn the job later in the season, but to make reads easier for the quarterbacks in question they should just start the veteran. Wilson was always going to be a player that needed to come along slowly, he played in such a low volume passing offense in college he had 107 targets across 46 games played. He was already a bit of a head scratching pick with Javon Baker, Jalen McMillan and Troy Franklin on the board, but he has a way to go and could do well with some time to sit.
Offensive Line
The Steeler Way is great. But can the team stop pretending that Zach Frazier and Troy Fautanu aren’t starting? They were both early selections with a nasty streak in the run game. What’s this offense going to do well? Running the dang ball. Each is likely to start by Week 4, so having them lose precious reps to Dan Moore and Nate Herbig is bad for the team short term, and if they’re going to get thrown into the fire in the middle of the season it’s likely bad for their development long term. Better to name them each starters now and let them develop chemistry with their running mates than to have them do the Steeler Way Shuffle and not know which lineman is supposed to pick up the twist against a DL stunt.
Last Word on Steelers Training Camp Battles
These Steelers training camp battles are important because they’re part of the culture that keep the Steelers afloat. But if the team wants to be competitive in 2024 and beyond, the decision needs to be made ASAP to prevent a loss of valuable reps.
Main Photo Credit: Barry Reeger-USA TODAY Sports
