The quarterbacks who played for the Steelers in 2023 all struggled mightily. Kenny Pickett couldn’t stay healthy, and even when he was, he didn’t take the step forward that the team needed from him. Mitch Trubisky managed to disappoint fans even more than he did in 2022. Mason Rudolph emerged as the best of the bunch, and even then, he was still only slightly above average. The Steelers seemed to notice this as well, as they completely overhauled their quarterback room.
With Russell Wilson in place as the starter and Justin Fields right behind him in case things go south, the Steelers seem to be in a better spot at this point compared to last year. However, nothing can be said for sure until players put on the pads. The regular season may still be far away, but speculation about both players will continue until then.
Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently published an article projecting the performances of quarterbacks who changed teams, including Fields and Wilson. Even though Mike Tomlin already stated Wilson will be the starter, Patra predicted there will still be a training camp battle between the two players. He also wrote that each player’s numbers in 2024 will be worse than they were in 2023.
This makes some sense when looking at the prediction Patra has for their seasons. He believes that Wilson, while still a competent player, will eventually lose his job to Fields at some point during the year. Under this context, it makes sense why both players would have worse numbers, as neither would be playing a full season. In this case, worse numbers do not necessarily mean worse play.
Patra goes on to state that if Fields were to win the quarterback battle in training camp, then his numbers for 2024 are more likely to be better than they were in 2023. He foresees Fields having success with Arthur Smith, similar to how Smith coached Ryan Tannehill into a career renaissance with the Titans.
Overall, Patra sees Wilson as the starter to begin the season, but believes that Fields gives the team a better chance to improve the offense. This is the most likely scenario for the team, especially based on Tomlin’s comments. As the veteran who the team first approached, Wilson will get an opportunity to hold onto the starting job. However, the team didn’t get Fields for nothing. If Wilson looks more like he did in Denver than Seattle, Fields will see the field sooner rather than later.
