Steelers Predicted To See Massive Contribution From Justin Fields In 2024: "Could Be A Disaster For Defenses"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have completely revamped their roster, especially the quarterback position. Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky are all gone, as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are now competing for the starting job. General Manager Omar Khan has made the necessary changes to the team overall, but there are still questions about what the offense will look like with all of the new weapons. 

Fields is one of the best athletes at the quarterback position in the NFL. Wilson is the presumed starter, while Fields will need to put up a fight in training camp. Fields may not earn the starting job, but he can still make an impact in other areas of the game. Fans are anticipating packages that will feature Fields, even if he isn't the starter, and are even hopeful both quarterbacks will occasionally be on the field at the same time. 

In a recent article from Sports Illustrated, Connor Orr delivered 100 bold predictions for the 2024 NFL season. Ranking high on the list was his prediction that Fields will score at least five touchdowns as a non-quarterback.

"The old axiom has long been that if your team claims to have two quarterbacks, it really has none. I think this year’s Pittsburgh Steelers could legitimately buck that trend. I love the idea of keeping an opponent in suspense, much the way the Jets tried to do with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow (though they failed horribly). There really and truly is a finite amount of time a team has to prepare for its opponents, and not knowing which quarterback will walk out onto the field at any given moment could be a disaster for defenses."

Fields is a threat with the ball in his hands, whether that be as a runner or a passer. His best season in the league came in 2022 when he finished 9th in MVP voting. Fields finished the year with over 1,100 rushing yards while scoring 8 touchdowns on the ground.

Orr continued his analysis of the Steelers quarterback situation by likening it to the early-2010s San Francisco 49ers, comparing Fields' abilities to those of Colin Kaepernick.

"We saw this when the 49ers started introducing Colin Kaepernick into their offensive scheme during the Jim Harbaugh era. All that said, I think one of the Steelers’ more successful packages will be with Fields and Wilson on the field at the same time."

Alex Smith was the long-time starter of the 49ers, but the team would use Kaepernick's athleticism to keep their opponents on edge. This strategy proved fruitful during the 2012 season, where Kaepernick brought the team to Super Bowl XLVII. 

Wilson is the front-runner to start for Pittsburgh, but if Fields is used in an occasional role that showcases his athleticism, he could end up taking the starting job, like Kaepernick did in San Francisco. This is especially a possibility if Wilson struggles early on in 2024. 

Steelers' TJ Watt Also Included In Bold Predictions

Ranking at number 20 on Sports Illustrated's 100 bold predictions for the 2024 season was TJ Watt bringing home another AP Defensive Player Of The Year Award. This isn't exactly a bold prediction, as Watt has been in the running for the award nearly every year of his career. Watt was notably snubbed for the award in 2020, and again in 2023. He won the award in 2021 when he tied Michael Strahan's single-season sack record.

The idea behind Watt winning another DPOY Award is that the Steelers have improved their roster drastically on the offensive side of the ball. This will hopefully lead to the team spending more time playing with the lead. While playing with the lead, they would be forcing their opponents to play less-conservatively and pass the ball more. This gives Watt more opportunities to make plays on the quarterback, and put his name in the DPOY conversation once again.

What do you expect from both Fields and Watt in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

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