Just under a week ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers had QB Kenny Pickett on their roster as the only quarterback under contract. Russell Wilson signed late Sunday evening last week and reports of Justin Fields being traded to the Steelers just broke on Saturday evening. This coming just shortly after Pickett was traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday afternoon. So they went from what some would call zero starting-caliber quarterbacks on ther roster to two in just under a week.
Bleacher Report’s insider, Jordan Schultz, posted on X shortly after the trade to reveal some information he has heard from sources around the league.
“Omar Khan has always liked Justin Fields. Conversations between he and the #Bears have been going on for some time now,” Schultz wrote. “With one league source describing the #Steelers’ belief that they now have “two starters” in the same QB room, with Fields and Russell Wilson.”
Both of these quarterbacks fit into the same general archetype of being athletic and mobile quarterbacks with big arm talent. This is something head coach Mike Tomlin has often said is becoming a requirement for the position in the changing landscape of the NFL, and now he has two to work with.
Fields was reportedly told that he is the backup to Wilson entering the season, and the Steelers have some compensation-related reasons for that to be the case. The trade is for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025 that can turn into a fourth-round pick if Fields plays over 51-percent of the 2024 snaps. That is unlikely to be the case unless an injury occurs, and it would have to happen early enough in the season.
Still, the Steelers now have a Super Bowl-winning QB in Wilson who is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and they have paired him with an option with potential long-term upside. Not to rain on any parades, but both quarterbacks have things to prove as their combined win-loss records over the last two seasons are 19-39.
The Steelers managed to finish 10-7 last season with a combination of Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph. One would think the expectations are much higher with Wilson and Fields. Especially with new OC Arthur Smith in town to help form the offense around their talents and stress defenses in ways that the Steelers could not do just a season ago.
