ESPN ranked the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback room No. 23 in its unit rankings ahead of the 2024 season, but it’s a group that could be boom or doom in 2024. The quarterback room was named a “unit to watch” after an overhaul this offseason.
“The Steelers completely overhauled one of the league’s worst QB rooms this offseason. Gone are Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, and in come Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson, who quietly ranked ninth in the league with 26 pass TDs last season, is the favorite to start early on. But Fields, who rushed for a QB-high 1,800 rushing yards over the past two seasons, should see some action this fall,” Mike Clay writes.
Fields should have packages for him in the offense, but the team’s success is going to be up to Wilson. While the Steelers are going to run the ball a lot under OC Arthur Smith, it’s an offense that will need to make plays through the air to stay competitive in a difficult AFC. The problem could be the quality Pittsburgh has at receiver. Clay has Pittsburgh’s receivers No. 30 in the NFL, and it’s a group that’s going to need Van Jefferson to emerge as a WR2, unless the Steelers trade for Brandon Aiyuk. The receiver situation isn’t going to make life easier on Wilson or Fields, although Jefferson has had a good camp and could wind up being a solid piece for Pittsburgh.
The overall ranking for Pittsburgh’s quarterback room does feel a little bit low, but Wilson and Fields are coming off subpar seasons with teams that struggled. Overall though, Wilson’s been a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and in Seattle, in an offense that had a strong rushing attack and was buoyed by a strong defense like Pittsburgh is, he performed well. Meanwhile Fields has shown flashes of being a legitimate starting quarterback, largely due to his arm strength and athleticism. It really isn’t that bad of a room, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Steelers’ quarterbacks outplayed their ranking.
The Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, as well as the New Orleans Saints, all have quarterback rooms rated higher than Pittsburgh, which doesn’t make a ton of sense in my eyes. It’s going to be fun to watch Wilson and Fields (when he gets a play called for him) this season, and the two should make the Steelers much more stable at the quarterback position than they have been in the past.
