It has been nearly a decade now since the Pittsburgh Steelers’ last playoff win, but that didn’t stop them from extending head coach Mike Tomlin’s contract through the 2027 season. Given what Art Rooney II said about the growing level of impatience, there must be a belief that the Steelers can return to their winning ways in the playoffs during that time. The 2024 season provides a decent opportunity to compete with Russell Wilson at quarterback and what is shaping up to be a top defense, but neither Wilson nor Justin Fields are under contract beyond this season. So what is the future outlook, and how might they avoid falling back into mediocrity?
For Shannon Sharpe, it all comes down to one question.
“How soon can Justin Fields develop?” Sharpe asked on Tuesday’s episode of First Take on ESPN. “How soon can he be what many believe he can? He has dynamic legs, there’s no question about that…How soon can he progress as a passer? If he can get that [part] down, now advancing to the Super Bowl? I think they can contend.
“Russell Wilson, I think we are gonna see, but I think the key answer for them at quarterback long term is Justin Fields and how soon his development takes place. How soon the maturation takes place. Because he has shown flashes, but can he consistently put it together? That’s what the really great quarterbacks do.”
I think it is fair to question if Fields can develop, and not just wonder when that might be. He has already started 38 games with a record of 10-28. His passing numbers are slightly improved year over year, but they are still well behind the cream of the crop at the position around the league.
The AFC is loaded with quarterbacks, both young and old, so the level of competition is not going to get any easier. The Steelers need a franchise option of their own to usher them into the next era of contending for Super Bowl trophies. Right now, the only possible option for that is Fields.
Could Wilson lead the team to some playoff wins and even stick around for an extra season or two? That is a possibility, but it would probably be at the expense of seeing what the Steelers have in Fields, and then they are truly back to square one with finding their next guy. And if the floor for the Steelers is no worse than a .500 season, then they likely won’t find themselves in a position to draft a franchise quarterback anytime soon.
Fields is the best, and currently only, bet for the future of the position in Pittsburgh. If there is one encouraging thing, it is the possibility of Arthur Smith taking his career to the next level. Fields finished the 2023 season with an adjusted net yards per passing attempt of 5.29. Coincidentally, that is the same number that Ryan Tannehill posted the season before he made the Pro Bowl under Arthur Smith. Tannehill’s ANY/A jumped from 5.29 to 8.52 in Smith’s offense. His second-highest career number in that stat was the second and final season he played under Smith, too.
If Fields can even get close to that kind of jump in production if and when he gets an opportunity to start, then the Steelers very well could have an answer at the position and get back to contending in the playoffs. They will have to figure out how to navigate the contract situation first, however, with Fields set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
