The Steelers knew they had a problem at quarterback going into this offseason, and to their credit, they did everything they could to solve it. Signing Russell Wilson for as cheap as possible and then trading practically nothing for Justin Fields is about the best they could have done, save for trading away their entire future to move up in the draft. Along with some new additions along the offensive line, the Steelers’ offense is looking to take a step forward after years of being unwatchable at times. However, there’s no guarantee that all that glitters is gold for the Steelers.
Wilson and Fields provide an upgrade in the quarterback room, but considering how atrocious the quarterbacks for the Steelers were last year, save for some stretch, that isn’t saying much. Wilson is coming off a stint in Denver that did nothing but hurt his reputation and legacy. Fields was regarded as one of the top prospects coming into the 2021 draft, but since then, his career has been overshadowed by question marks about if he can really develop into what teams thought he could be. On the most recent episode of his Minus Three podcast, analyst Dave Dameshek spoke about how he believes the quarterback position could still be a problem for the Steelers.
“What I’ve been preaching for a couple of years, few years now, that [Mike] Tomlin’s vision, I don’t know if it’s gonna work. I think it’s gonna work to the tune of at least 10 wins. That’s the absolute floor now,” Dameshek said about the Steelers trying to win by running the ball and playing great defense. “But he’s gonna try to win, as I’ve been telling you, he has been and will continue to, by hiding the quarterback to some degree. They’re going to win, they’re gonna try to win games around the quarterback, not because of the quarterback.”
Dameshek is correct in saying that the Steelers are leaning less into winning by having their quarterback throw the ball 50 times a game and more into controlling the clock though running the football and smothering opponents on defense, but that’s a product of the situation they’re in. They have two capable running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and they were not in any position to get a top-tier quarterback this offseason.
If the Steelers had the chance to sign a Kirk Cousins or draft a Caleb Williams, their strategy might change. At the moment, they’re working toward their strengths, as there are very few quarterbacks in the NFL who can carry their team to a victory. One look at the Buffalo Bills of last year proves that. Josh Allen is one of the most skilled quarterbacks in the league, and yet, the majority of the Bills’ success came when they were effectively running the football.
Considering Steelers GM Omar Khan seems more than happy with all of the quarterbacks currently on the roster, it doesn’t seem that the team anticipates hiding whoever its quarterback is. They seem to plan on building around their strengths and maximizing their support system, but it’s too early to say that this group of signal callers will need hidden. After all, if you’re in the AFC, you’re probably going to have to go through the Kansas City Chiefs to get to the Super Bowl, and unless Tom Brady comes out of retirement to play in Pittsburgh, there’s no one who can outduel Patrick Mahomes.
