Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields the other day made it clear he wants to make a push to start for the team this season, but with Russell Wilson likely the team’s starting quarterback to open the season, it’s going to be difficult for Fields to get his shot. On the #1 Cochran Sports Showdown on KDKA, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly said he doesn’t think that this is the year for Fields and that the Steelers will give Wilson at least half their season as a starting quarterback.
“Russell Wilson is gonna at least get half the season. There is nothing that can happen from right now until September 8th, the opener, that Mike Tomlin looks at Russell Wilson or Justin Fields and says, ‘Justin Fields is our number one.’ It’s just, you don’t have that many reps, you don’t have that many opportunities. They brought Russell Wilson in here for a reason. He’s going to start. He’s going to get every opportunity there is.”
If Wilson gets benched after half the season, something likely went wrong for the Steelers. Kaboly thinks Fields will be a more viable option post-2024, meaning the Steelers would have to extend him. It’s hard to turn away from Wilson’s experience and veteran leadership at this juncture as the Steelers look to compete for a Super Bowl. While Fields has tantalizing athleticism, he’s been inconsistent at actually making throws and doing what it takes to succeed in the past, so the Steelers might be more comfortable with Wilson.
Fields was only acquired after Kenny Pickett asked out of Pittsburgh after the team signed Wilson, which should signal the team’s intentions over how they feel about Wilson and him being the potential starter. While Fields could certainly push him, the idea is that Wilson will be the team’s QB1 to open the season up, barring injury. If Wilson struggles, the Steelers will likely struggle, and Fields may get his shot, but it might not be in the best situation for him to succeed if that’s the case.
We still have plenty of offseason ahead of us. Still, all signs point to Russell Wilson opening the season on the road against the Atlanta Falcons as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback for the majority of the 2024 season. Hopefully, it can lead to some playoff success for the Steelers for the first time since 2016.
