The Pittsburgh Steelers were tied to Russell Wilson and Justin Fields quite a bit heading into the offseason. They were seen as one of the leading contenders for each, but very few foresaw them getting both.
Well, here we are, heading into the 2024 NFL season with both Wilson and Fields under contract with Pittsburgh. Based on what has been said by Mike Tomlin, and also the weak trade compensation that was given for Justin Fields, it seems like it’s going to be Wilson’s job to lose, at least at the start of training camp.
However, there’s a good argument for Fields to get at least some playing time in 2024. He’s a lot younger than Wilson and much more likely to be the franchise’s long-term quarterback answer.
So, how do you get enough tape on him to decide if he’s worth another contract or even the franchise tag? Eric Mangini was on The Herd and gave his thoughts on the two becoming Steelers.
“I love that. You’re spending five million dollars total for Justin Fields and Russell Wilson,” Mangini pointed out. “We don’t know where Russell’s going to be, but he’s performed at a high level in the past, and so if you get some semblance of that, great, and then you’ve got whatever Justin Fields can potentially be. You get a chance to look at that. He gets to work with Russell Wilson, and he gets another year to develop. You can platoon him in and play him meaningful snaps, which is a huge problem for every defense they play because you’ve got to prepare for two guys.”
The concept of a platoon is not seen or considered much in the modern NFL. The closest thing we have in the league today is probably what Taysom Hill does in New Orleans. It’s unlikely Fields takes that type of role, as Hill is a special talent and has great tight-end skills as well as being incredibly mobile.
It’s hard to imagine the Steelers running a true platoon, with Wilson and Fields switching off series’ or even plays, but it’s an interesting concept. Both guys have proven at least capable of running an NFL offense, and it would keep defenses on their toes.
On the other hand, the Steelers are going to have a pretty young offense with few leaders. Fields and Wilson platooning would likely mean they have two very different base offenses: a more traditional one for when Wilson is on the field and a read-option style with Fields.
With both guys being new to Pittsburgh and on one-year contracts, it would be a lot of legwork for something that would only last one year and might not even be effective. It’s likely Fields gets some time this season due to a Wilson injury, poor play, or the team being out of the playoff race, but I don’t think a platoon is the answer.
