The Pittsburgh Steelers have a predicament on their hands at the quarterback position, with two starting-caliber players on the roster in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Head Coach Mike Tomlin plans to start Wilson at the start of the 2024 season, but has said both quarterbacks will be given an opportunity to compete. Many believe, including Tomlin, that Fields has a ton of untapped potential that could lead to him being a very good starting quarterback for years to come in the NFL.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin addresses the fans at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA during the team's annual training camp in 2022.
Wilson and Fields are both upgrades over the Steelers' quarterback situation from the 2023 season, and with new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, the offensive unit should look much better, regardless of who is behind the center. Wilson has the experience, as he is entering his 13th season in the NFL and he will be turning 36 years old just after Thanksgiving. Wilson's experience and history of winning is enough for Emmanuel Acho to crown him the Week 1 starter for Pittsburgh over Fields, which he explained on FS1's Speak.
"Though Russ didn't carry his Super Bowl teams, and Justin Fields obviously didn't carry his Bears teams, Russ has never had to be carried by a team. Justin Fields, he's been dead weight, Russ has never in Seattle been deadweight. Remember those Seahawks teams were 7-9 before he got there. He got there and they instantly won 11, then instantly won 13 and went to the Super Bowl."
Wilson does have a winning pedigree from his time with the Seattle Seahawks, and Fields has yet to have a winning season in his three years as a starter with the Chicago Bears. Wilson started his career with nine straight winning seasons in Seattle, appearing in two Super Bowls and winning Super Bowl XLVIII. Since his second to last season in Seattle, he has struggled to find the same kind of success and he has finished each of the last three years below .500.
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Former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (#3) scrambles out of the pocket during a professional football game.
The Steelers have a good enough roster outside of the quarterback position to make the playoffs, especially on the defensive side of the ball. They just need an efficient passer, who makes limited mistakes. For the time being, that is Wilson. He threw 26 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions in 15 starts during the 2023 season. Fields still struggles with mistakes and turnovers, but he should improve under the tutelage of Wilson. Acho spoke more about the differences between Wilson and Fields.
"There are three categories: Game changers, game managers, and game losers. Russell Wilson might not be a game changer, but he's never been a game loser. Put him in the game manager category. Someone could very convincingly make a case for Justin Fields to be in the game loser category."
Both Wilson and Fields have their fair share of fatal flaws when it comes to making negative plays, which is slightly more concerning for the 12-year veteran than the 25 year old with just three seasons under his belt. Both players were tied for the league-lead in sacks in 2022 when each player was taken down in the backfield 55 times. Wilson has thrown 25 interceptions over the last three seasons, Fields has thrown 30. Wilson has fumbled on 22 occasions since Fields entered the NFL, and Fields has fumbled a shocking 38 times in his career.
Based off of recent play and their team success, both players could be in the "game loser" category. Whoever can eliminate the turnovers and negative plays overall will be the best option for Pittsburgh and give the team the best chance to succeed.
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Justin Fields donning a visor during his time as quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
Steelers Offense Will Be Quarterback-Friendly
The Steelers made a great decision by firing former Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada during the 2023 season, and they brought in Smith during the offseason to help turn the offense around. Smith is most known for his recent stretch as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where his team finished 7-10 in all three seasons he was there. He was often scrutinized for not using his best players consistently enough. Before he got a head coaching gig, he was one of the best offensive coordinators in the league with the Tennessee Titans.
Smith's offense is run-first, which is obvious when looking at Derrick Henry's statistics from the time Smith was in Tennessee. Smith will be relying on Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren a lot, which should open up the passing game. Smith's quarterback for the majority of his time with the Titans was Ryan Tannehill. His offense got Tannehill to throw for 55 touchdowns to just 13 interceptions, and over 6,500 yards in just 26 starts. Smith was able to do that with Tannehill, imagine what can happen with Wilson or Fields.
Who do you want to see earn the starting job in Pittsburgh at quarterback? Comment below!
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