The second season of the Kenny Pickett Era with the Pittsburgh Steelers has largely been a disappointment.
Pickett regressed in former offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s offense, struggled with his health again, leaving three games early due to injury and is now recovering from a procedure on his ankle. He just hasn’t been that franchise-level quarterback the franchise was hoping they were getting when they drafted him No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Chances are, the Steelers will give Pickett at least one more year, especially with a new offensive coordinator coming in either from the outside or as an internal promotion. But if GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl deem it time to move on from Pickett as the Steelers’ starting quarterback, one name that continues to be bandied about for the Steelers is a former first-round draft pick as well.
That would be current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. With Chicago potentially holding the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft that features quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye at the top of the board, the Bears could reset the clock at the quarterback position while still trying to build up the rest of their roster.
For The Athletic’s Robert Mays, during an appearance on the “In The Pocket” podcast with former quarterback Chase Daniel Thursday, the Steelers are an ideal fit for Fields should they deem the Pickett Era over.
“One team that is very interesting to me, ’cause they’re definitely gonna be looking for a new offensive coordinator this year, is the Steelers,” Mays said to Daniel regarding Fields and a potential fit with the Steelers. “If the Steelers decide, ‘Hey, we did the Kenny Pickett thing, even if we didn’t put him in the best position, we still think this isn’t our best path forward,’ are they a team that could look to take a big swing and try to go get somebody like this?”
In parting ways with Canada in mid-November, the Steelers did the unthinkable, firing a coach in the middle of the season, something they haven’t done since World War II. That’s a wild stat, but true. They hadn’t even removed play-calling duties from a coordinator in-season since Bill Cowher did that to then-OC Ray Sherman in 1998.
When it comes to Fields and the dots being connected with the Steelers, it’s rather easy. The Steelers and Khan already have a relationship with the Bears and GM Ryan Poles, having pulled off a trade with them already in recent years, that being the Chase Claypool trade. Add in the fact that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was at Fields’ Pro Day at Ohio State ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Though he typically always goes to Ohio State’s Pro Day, it was rather telling that Tomlin was front and center in 2021 and seen interacting with Fields throughout it.
Now, three years later, he might have a chance at getting his hands on Fields. One clear hangup would be the fifth-year option the Steelers would have to decide on should they make a move for Fields. That decision would need made before even seeing him take a snap for the Steelers.
Currently, that fifth-year option for Fields would be $21,978,000 and it would be fully guaranteed for the former first-round pick. That’s a hefty price tag.
Aside from the interest in Fields that seems obvious from the past, and being a potential fit, Mays has one name that makes sense as a coordinator for the Steelers to pair with Fields. It’s a familiar name, too.
“And I have, by the way, I’ve got an interesting name for you if you’re picking a coordinator to do this with…Greg Roman,” Mays added regarding a potential offensive coordinator candidate for the Steelers. “So you get to a place where he’s overstayed his welcome when you’re trying to take the next step as an offense. But what if you’re trying to take your first step as an offense with this type of quarterback? Is he somebody that would be worth calling as you’re trying to build that up at the beginning?”
Roman was the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens from 2019-22 and helped quarterback Lamar Jackson win the NFL MVP in 2019. He also helped the Ravens develop the league’s best rushing attack over the last few seasons. But the Ravens ultimately moved on from Roman because the passing game couldn’t develop much with Jackson.
That could be a problem for Fields and a potential pairing with Roman, especially in Pittsburgh. But Roman could have learned from his issues in the passing game in Baltimore and added to his offense in the time away from the game as he is currently not coaching anywhere.
Plus, the Steelers know him quite well having battled against him, and they have the personnel in place already with two good running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren and an offensive line that is playing well in the run game, which could be a great pairing for Roman with Fields.
It’s all hypothetical. Certainly fun though, especially considering the talent that Fields is with his arm and legs in today’s NFL.
