Mike Jones of The Athletic recently took a look at every quarterback who changed teams this offseason and whether or not the move was an upgrade, a downgrade, or a wash for each team that acquired the player. For the Steelers, who turned over their quarterback room more than any team so far with the additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and trading away Kenny Pickett, Jones thinks the Steelers got better. Meanwhile, he called Pickett’s move to Philadelphia a “wash” for the Eagles when it came to acquiring Pickett in place of Marcus Mariota.
Jones said that Wilson will have the right system to succeed in Pittsburgh.
“Rival talent evaluators say we shouldn’t let the two tumultuous Denver seasons fool us. Wilson can still play, they believe, stressing that he just needs the right system and proper support to help regain his effectiveness. Wilson should get that in Pittsburgh, where Mike Tomlin prefers his offensive coordinators establish a strong rushing attack to ensure balance while also receiving a strong backing from a disruptive defense.”
The best seasons of Wilson’s career came with a strong run game and strong defense in Seattle, and in Pittsburgh, he’ll have the two-headed monster of Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris in the backfield. He’ll also have a defense that features T.J. Watt, Patrick Queen, Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Alex Highsmith to help force turnovers and limit the opposition. Wilson’s last two seasons weren’t all that pretty, but he was still better in Denver than what the Steelers had in Pickett, and with the team eager to end their postseason drought, they got aggressive and made the move to bring him in.
After trading Pickett, they took advantage of the buyer’s market for Fields, whom Pittsburgh acquired for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick. Jones writes that Fields could develop in Pittsburgh and potentially become one of the best players in his draft class.
“And then there’s Fields. While Wilson, who signed a one-year deal, could solve the Steelers’ immediate issues at quarterback, Fields could represent a long-term upgrade. Fields struggled in his three seasons with the Bears, but he also wasn’t developed properly, and he played behind a weak line. Landing in Pittsburgh is a win-win situation. He’ll have the opportunity to reset, sit back, and learn from Wilson and refine his fundamentals, field vision, understanding of NFL coverages, and decision-making. If Fields can grow in those areas, he could wind up finally blossoming into one of the best players from the 2021 draft class.”
Fields will have the opportunity to learn from Wilson, someone who has a somewhat similar play style, although Wilson is a better passer, and Fields is probably better with his legs. But Wilson does have a really good work ethic and working behind him should help Fields learn the correct habits and grow as an NFL quarterback. While Fields may be Pittsburgh’s quarterback of the future, the team reportedly wants to work out a long-term extension with Wilson, and that could lead to Fields either leaving after 2024 or staying to remain as Wilson’s backup.
There’s no guarantee Fields become Pittsburgh’s quarterback of the future, but even if he’s just a backup, he’s still an upgrade, and the price to acquire him means the Steelers have zero obligation to play him.
Pickett was labeled a wash because Jones writes that it’s “hard to view him as an upgrade” over Marcus Mariota as a backup for the Eagles, despite Mariota’s days as an established starter. Pickett’s lack of touchdown passes (13 in 25 games) is a cause for concern if Philadelphia is relying on him to keep the offense moving as a backup to Jalen Hurts.
It’s no surprise Pittsburgh’s moves are viewed as upgrades, and now the question is whether or not they’ll actually play like it on the field. If Wilson can go back to his pre-Denver self, the Steelers should be competitive this season, even in a tough AFC and AFC North.
