In life, there are winners and losers. The NFL is no exception. One analyst assigned these labels to the Steelers and Bears.
After another whirlwind day from the Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan, QB Justin Fields is officially on the roster. According to Judy Battista, senior national columnist over at NFL.com, that deal puts both Fields and the Steelers in the “winners” category.
In an article reacting to the news, Battista marked the two as coming out on top of the trade. First, for the Steelers, she writes that the addition of Fields, and Russell Wilson for that matter, gives the team their first plan at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
“Getting Fields, who still has tremendous upside, for a low-round draft pick is a steal,” wrote Battista. “They now have a highly motivated Wilson as the starter and a potential future starter who can watch Wilson and be tutored by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Finally, after not being fully ready for life after Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers may have their succession plan.”
Fields also gets a spot in Battista’s winner’s list, Battista writing that joining the Steelers in a backup role behind Wilson gives him the best opportunity to restart his career.
“Once it became clear that there would be no starting opportunity for him, he landed in the perfect spot to restart his career. Wilson is signed for just one year, which—assuming Wilson remains the starter—can be viewed as an apprenticeship for Fields, while the Steelers now have the rights to his fifth-year option.”
She goes on to say that Pittsburgh’s strong defense and run-heavy, play-action-styled offense can simplify the game for Fields, who is coming off the best season of his young NFL career.
Battista shares the same thoughts on the move as most Steelers fans. A buy-low move with high-level upside for a team with a previously uninspiring quarterback room. If it hits and Fields improves under the mentorship of Wilson, the Steelers will have traded a conditional sixth-round pick for their quarterback of the future. If it doesn’t, the move won’t impact the team’s future outlook at all.
Outside of Fields and the Steelers, Battista also lists Caleb Williams as a winner as the move clears up his future, guaranteeing he will be the first overall pick for the Chicago Bears.
However, Battista wasn’t so complimentary of the Bears franchise in regards to the trade. She lists the Bears as the first “loser,” noting that General Manager Ryan Poles had to make the trade to give Williams a clean slate. However, had the team acted quicker, they could’ve had a bigger return.
While he wasn’t part of the trade, Battista also listed Kenny Pickett as a loser. She says that the Steelers’ trade of Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles gives him “almost no chance” of being the starter versus the potential quarterback battle slated between him and Wilson in Pittsburgh.
For a player who reportedly requested a trade following the Steelers signing of Wilson, it is curious that Pickett ended up in Philadelphia. The team is tied to Jalen Hurts, a player who already took his team to the Super Bowl. So long as Hurts is healthy, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where Pickett is QB1.
Long story short, according to Battista, the Steelers and Fields should be very pleased with the move.
