The Pittsburgh Steelers have assembled a band of castoffs this offseason to lead their offense, helmed by QBs Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Cut by the Denver Broncos, traded by the Chicago Bears to draft another quarterback, and fired by the Atlanta Falcons.
While the Steelers got them all on a bargain, to some degree, they are driving the future of the offense. And for head coach Mike Tomlin, this isn’t wholly a coincidence or out of place for his Steelers. Wilson, Fields, and Smith bring a mindset not dissimilar to that to which Pittsburgh adheres.
“All three guys, to be really transparent, are somewhat scalded,” Tomlin told Peter Schrager about Wilson, Fields, and Smith. “They’ve got something to prove, professionally. But we as a collective feel the same way. We have something to prove, and I just think that that is a good frame of mind to be in as individuals and as a collective as we prepare ourselves for the 2024 season.”
The Steelers are riding a non-losing streak, but they also have a streak without a playoff win since 2016. They’re too often runner-up to the Baltimore Ravens or the Cincinnati Bengals in their own backyard of the AFC North. If Wilson or Fields can quarterback them to a better tomorrow, fueled by their past slights, all the better. If Smith can architect a stronger offense after sputtering out in his first stint as head coach, so be it.
“It’s not fun to relocate or get fired or things of that nature. But as competitors, it always motivates us in the right way,” Tomlin said, referring to the manner in which Wilson, Fields, and Smith exited their prior places of employment. “And we as a collective have got some questions to answer, so I’m excited about that as well.”
A borderline Hall of Famer, Russell Wilson is looking to get back to the top of the profession. A former Super Bowl champion, he has quarterbacked three consecutive losing seasons. The Seattle Seahawks sold him to Denver for a king’s ransom in 2022, but he never quite worked out there. He aims to prove that he can still play at a high level in the right environment, which he lacked with the Broncos.
Justin Fields is still a young quarterback at just 25 years old. Entering his fourth season as a former 11th-overall pick, he also lacked the appropriate support in Chicago. The Steelers and Tomlin were extremely high on Fields coming out of Ohio State. They reportedly intend to sign him to an extension before the season begins, as well.
Arthur Smith spent most of his NFL career working up the ranks of the Tennessee Titans organization. He is best known as the offensive coordinator during RB Derrick Henry’s 2,000-yard rushing season. Smith has also acted as offensive line and tight ends coach, named Atlanta’s head coach in 2021. They fired him this offseason and only interviewed with the Steelers before accepting the offensive coordinator.
Wilson, Fields, and Smith replace QBs Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky, and offensive coordinator Matt Canada. That group squandered a budding nucleus of offensive talent for the past two seasons. Now, Tomlin intends for the new group, still licking their fresh wounds, to bring the Steelers to the next level.
