The Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves in a somewhat dubious position heading into the 2024 season. The refrain after the 2023 season was that the team needs to win in the playoffs now. It’s not enough to just make the playoffs. That was echoed by team president Art Rooney II, head coach Mike Tomlin, and general manager Omar Khan.
The biggest need for the Steelers going into 2024 was fixing the offense. They brought in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to get the offense back to an NFL level. But they still needed a quarterback.
So Khan brought in both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson has the experience with a Super Bowl win and another appearance. Fields represents athletic potential for the future. But how do the Steelers balance the desire to win now and figure out the future? After all, both Wilson and Fields aren’t under contract for 2025.
“The Steelers can’t really afford to fall behind in that division, which is probably the most competitive division in all of football,” Former NFL LB Bart Scott said on Thursday’s episode of Get Up on ESPN. “But the reality is, somebody messed up with drafting Najee Harris. Somebody messed up by drafting Kenny Pickett. And the only thing that’s saving their job is they found their Brock Purdy potentially in Justin Fields potentially being a future quarterback.”
On the field, there aren’t a whole lot of similarities between San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy and Fields. Purdy has proven himself to be a quite capable passer in head coach Kyle Shananhan’s offense, throwing for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2023 en route to a Super Bowl berth. Fields is by far the better athlete as one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL.
Yet there are some similarities. Purdy is famously Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Fields only cost the Steelers a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They both also represent fits in their respective offensive systems (or at least potentially in Fields’ case).
Purdy wasn’t some superstar quarterback at Iowa State, but he’s able to execute Shanahan’s offense at a high level, making him an ideal fit. Fields has shown the ability to throw the ball well in play-action and down the field while being a dynamic threat on the ground. All of those things fit Smith’s offense. And ESPN analyst Louis Riddick believes that Smith “loves this kid’s skill set” when it comes to Fields.
There are plenty of people excited to see how Justin Fields fares in a new place that should support him better than Chicago did. The problem is whether Fields can utilize his potential to win games in 2024, including that all-important playoff win.
That’s the crux of the problem for the Steelers. Do they believe that Wilson gives them the best chance to meet those goals this season? And if so, do they believe that he can continue to do so even at 35 years old? Former NFL QB Robert Griffin III believes that Wilson is in a much better position to help the Steelers win now.
So how do the Steelers navigate the need for winning now and the need for a future quarterback? It will be fascinating to see throughout training camp and the 2024 regular season. But wins need to come one way or another.
