Do the Pittsburgh Steelers believe that they have the proverbial two quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields? The saying goes that if you believe you have two, you actually have none, because if they are close in talent, then neither one likely is particularly good.
In one of the biggest surprises in recent offseasons, the Steelers completely turned over their quarterback room. They released Mitch Trubisky, traded Kenny Pickett, and allowed Mason Rudolph to leave as an unrestricted free agent. In turn, they signed Russell Wilson and acquired Justin Fields via trade.
While reports indicate they’ve told Wilson and Fields that the former is the starter, plans can always change. Indeed, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said something rather interesting on What the Football yesterday.
“I firmly believe, and I have done a little digging here, I think the new offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, Arthur Smith, is already drawing up some plays where you have both guys on the field at the same time”, he said, “and it conjures memories of Kordell Stewart’s rookie year in 1995 when they used him and Neil O’Donnell at the same time”.
The Steelers drafted Stewart in the second round in 1995. He caught 14 passes, attempted 15 rushes, and threw seven passes that year, scoring twice. He also threw one touchdown pass, a two-yarder to Ernie Mills against the Cleveland Browns.
Fields started almost immediately, but not right away. He dressed as the backup for the first two games of his career for the Chicago Bears, but still played. Andy Dalton, the starter, suffered a knee injury in Week 2, thrusting Fields into the starting lineup. Prior to the Dalton injury, the Bears did allow him to run some plays, Fields attempting three passes and two rushes.
In other words, there is some precedent for using Fields as a complementary player, though in this case I don’t believe he shared the field with Dalton. And if the Steelers design a package for Fields, I don’t know that they leave Wilson out there, either.
But I think the Steelers would be wise to explore the possibility of using him if he is their backup. His rare athleticism is such a potential weapon off the bench, and you also give yourself an opportunity for evaluation.
Of course, when teams play multiple quarterbacks, it’s generally because they don’t have a franchise guy. You don’t want to take the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow. The Steelers are dealing with late-stage Russell Wilson right now, so it makes more sense to work in Justin Fields.
