Could the Pittsburgh Steelers have found their quarterback of the future with Justin Fields? Former Steelers DL Chris Hoke thinks so.
Some teams spend years or even decades trying to find their next franchise quarterback. We have all seen the comical photos of a Cleveland Browns fan adding last names to their jersey for the countless quarterbacks that have fizzled out for their franchise. That isn’t a unique problem to the Browns.
There are franchises every year that draft quarterbacks in the first round with high hopes for the future. The vast majority of those quarterbacks don’t work out. Just look at Bryce Young, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023 and just benched for4 36-year-old Andy Dalton. Because of the importance of the position, teams are forced to keep reinvesting or making large-money deals in free agency to acquire quarterbacks that are usually on the tail end of their careers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers looked to be on a similar trajectory after the failed Kenny Pickett experiment, but things are currently looking very good for the future of the position.
Hoke was asked via the KDKA Steelers Extra Point postgame show if there is any chance the Steelers turn back to Russell Wilson once he is healthy.
“I don’t see how you can do that right now,” Hoke said. “He’s [Fields] playing really, really well. He’s 3-0, very efficient with the ball and the Steelers are plus-four in turnover ratio. I think they found their quarterback of the future to be honest.”
The Chicago Bears were in control of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and with a universally lauded talent like Caleb Williams available, they made the decision to move on from Fields. They ended up trading him to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. If Fields ends up being the quarterback of the future, that is quite the bargain compared to what many other teams invest in franchise quarterbacks.
If he continues to play, Fields will very likely hit the conditional aspect of the trade with 51 percent or more of the total offensive snaps. That would flip the sixth-round pick into a fourth-round pick. That is still a huge bargain.
Fields has led the Steelers to a 3-0 record, which they have only done on three other occasions over the last 25 years. Other than his interception today, he has kept the Steelers out of harm’s way.
Other than not winning many games, what were the biggest knocks on Fields after his tenure in Chicago? He turned the ball over too much, took unnecessary sacks, and couldn’t operate the quick-passing game efficiently.
Through three games, Fields has completed 55 of his 75 attempts for 518 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He has also chipped in 28 rushing attempts for 90 yards and a touchdown. His 73.3 completion percentage, one turnover, and six sacks taken suggest he is making huge strides to correct all of the previous knocks on him.
Several notable analysts and media figures called him the steal of free agency back in March. I will admit I wasn’t as high on the move other than for depth, but Fields is proving me wrong. Right now, he does look like he could be the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
