The storyline of the offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been the complete overhaul of their quarterback room. All three of the 2023 quarterbacks are no longer on the roster, and they were replaced by Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Kyle Allen, and John Rhys Plumlee. None of the top three quarterbacks are under contract with the team beyond the 2024 season, so it is no surprise that Sports Illustrated’s best- and worst-case scenarios for the team this year have to do with the performance of Wilson and Fields.
“Wilson took the bulk of the blame, perhaps unfairly, for the disastrous two-year stint with the Broncos. But he did improve his play last season, guiding the Broncos on a five-game winning streak before Sean Payton pulled the plug on the QB experience,” SI’s Gilbert Manzano wrote this morning. “Perhaps the Steelers build off that and allow Wilson to do more to potentially have him play as well as he did with the Seattle Seahawks…Pittsburgh has the supporting cast to revive Wilson’s career, perhaps similar to what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with Baker Mayfield last season.”
The best-case scenario for the Steelers to be competitive in 2024 hinges on the performance of Wilson. If he can exceed his 2023 performance of 3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and an adjusted net yards per passing attempt of 6.04, then the Steelers have a very good chance to compete in the playoffs.
He doesn’t necessarily need to get back to his Seahawks level of play for the Steelers to be competitive. They found ways to stay competitive for the last two years with Kenny Pickett, OC Matt Canada, and a rash of injuries on defense. Somewhere in between his 2023 Broncos season and the end of his Seahawks tenure should be just fine to elevate the team beyond its recent years.
One could also argue that the true best-case scenario involves Justin Fields performing well enough to eventually start. That would give the Steelers a quarterback option for at least the next few seasons and possibly longer. But with where the two are at in their respective careers, Wilson gives the higher ceiling if we are looking at the 2024 season in isolation.
The worst-case scenario would be neither quarterback working out, and the Steelers going right back to the drawing board next offseason with the endless speculation on which veteran free agent the Steelers attempt to lure to Pittsburgh.
“Perhaps Payton and the Broncos were right to release Wilson and eat the dead money from his hefty contract extension because his best days are behind him. If that’s the case, the Steelers do have Fields to replace Wilson, but he also arrives in Pittsburgh with uncertainties,” Manzano wrote. “Fields’ accuracy issues and lack of consistency as a passer led the Bears to trade him to make room for Caleb Williams. It could be a long season for the Steelers if both quarterbacks struggle and fail to improve on their weaknesses.”
With the way the QB competition has played out so far, Wilson would have to struggle badly enough for Fields to even get the opportunity. That would probably spell the end of any playoff chances for the team this season. If Fields were to struggle, then things could get ugly with the media narratives over the final stretch of the season. Especially when considering the Steelers will be featured as part of the AFC North Hard Knocks on HBO at the end of the year.
Nobody wants to relive the tiresome QB speculation that occurred leading up to free agency this year, but that is exactly the situation the Steelers could find themselves in if Wilson and Fields both fail to capitalize on their opportunity.
