There’s a lot of speculation over what the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to do at quarterback this season with the team acquiring both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields this offseason. While Wilson is the likely starter to begin the year, analysts like Ryan Clark believe that Justin Fields could see the field this year, and he isn’t alone.
Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team listed Fields as the second-most likely backup quarterback to be a future starter behind first-round pick Michael Penix Jr., and Mosher believes that Fields will play this season.
“Justin Fields is (likely) the better fit in Arthur Smith’s offense and is much more dynamic with his legs. He’ll get a shot at starting at some point during the 2024 season, but how early that will be is unknown.”
Fields could very well see the field in 2024, but if he starts, it’ll likely be because Wilson is really struggling, which wouldn’t be a positive for the Steelers. There’s also the possibility that Fields completely blows Wilson away in training camp, but even in that case, insiders such as Mark Kaboly don’t believe he has much of a chance of starting to open the season.
Still, Fields could be the quarterback of the future for the Steelers, as he’s still just 25 years old. If things do go south with Wilson this season, the Steelers might want to see what they have in Fields as a long-term option. It doesn’t feel like a certainty that Fields will start this season though, as barring injury it would seemingly take a poor performance from Wilson for Fields to get his shot.
Former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett also made the list, coming in at No. 10. Pickett’s future as a starter is murky, as he’s behind Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, but Mosher believes that a situation away from Matt Canada plus his pedigree of being a former first-round pick could lead someone to take a chance on him and potentially give him an opportunity.
Fields and Wilson are both upgrades over Pickett, so regardless of who plays, the Steelers offense should be a lot better in 2024. The Steelers could also opt to use both, with Fields playing in a specialty package a possibility, and there’s even the potential for a dual-QB system. But right now, it certainly seems as if Wilson will be Pittsburgh’s starter, with Fields’ role more up-in-the-air, so I wouldn’t be so quick to pencil him in for getting a shot to start.
