Prior to signing Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided that they likely don’t have the answer at quarterback on their roster short-term or long-term. All of those quarterbacks are now gone, and they’ve managed to take two bites of the apple for the next.
Gone are Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky, although they didn’t exit in that order. They released Trubisky first, then allowed Rudolph to leave in free agency. After signing Russell Wilson, they traded away Kenny Pickett and traded for Justin Fields. Many view the Wilson and Fields acquisitions as a short-term attempt and a long-term one, respectively. That includes Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Talk, who shared his thoughts on which quarterback gives them the best chance to win in 2024 during a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller.
“I think it’s Russ[ell Wilson],” he said. You’re trying to recapture some of his old magic, and I think maybe pairing him with Arthur Smith, play-action-heavy scheme, getting the ball outside the numbers to guys like George Pickens, I think Russell Wilson.”
Wilson, who turns 36 this season, has a borderline Hall of Fame resume but also three consecutive losing seasons. He’s capable of filling up a stat sheet, but he’s not likely to carry the team to many wins independently.
As for Fields, 25, his three-year tenure since the Chicago Bears drafted him 11th overall ultimately yielded a conditional future sixth-round draft pick, which says more than nothing about his perceived value around the league right now.
Still, for the talent he possesses, it’s not surprising the Steelers opted to roll the dice. Reportedly, other teams made a bid for him, including the Philadelphia Eagles, who traded for Pickett. I am skeptical about how seriously they considered Fields’ wants when deciding which team to trade, however. I doubt anybody offered them a third-round pick that they turned down.
“So many people were tantalized by Justin Fields and his potential coming out of Ohio State,” Palazzolo said. He never really got there. Took too many negative plays but was a dynamic runner. If you do just get that development…he could overtake Russ, but I think it’s Russell Wilson right now.”
The Steelers went 7-5 with Pickett as the starter of record, 0-2 with Trubisky, and 3-0 with Rudolph. That was enough to get to the playoffs, with Rudolph starting in the Wild Card Round versus the Buffalo Bills. While they authored another first-round exit, they have talent on the roster to push further.
So much hinges on the level of quality they can get from the quarterback position. Is Wilson good enough to win them a playoff game or two, or for that matter, Fields? What are the odds that we see Fields in the starting lineup due to performance at some point this season?
