The 2024 season was an interesting one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Much of that was because of their quarterback situation. It felt like Russell Wilson was always going to be their starter, but an injury kept him out for the first six weeks of the season. That gave Justin Fields an opportunity to showcase his abilities. While Fields performed well, leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record, he went to the bench once Wilson was healthy. Looking back at that decision, Mike Florio has some criticism for Mike Tomlin.
“He was good last year with the Steelers,” Florio said of Fields Thursday on his Pro Football Talk podcast. “Mike Tomlin made the calculation, miscalculation, frankly.
“I’m a big Tomlin defender, but he made a mistake thinking that Russell Wilson was going to be the guy to get them over the top and take them to the promised land. It didn’t work, and in hindsight, they’d have been better off letting Fields play the whole year.”
It’s tough to say for certain whether Florio is right or wrong. The Steelers’ season ended in disaster. They lost their final four regular-season games. Then, they went one-and-done in the postseason again. Throughout that time, Fields operated mostly as a gadget player, never getting another shot at the starting job.
However, Wilson wasn’t the sole reason for the Steelers’ downfall. Their defense completely collapsed, struggling with miscommunication and missed tackles. Wilson didn’t help matters, specifically when it came to costly turnovers, but Fields might not have changed Pittsburgh’s fate.
In his six starts, Fields compiled 1,106 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns, and only one interception. He didn’t look bad enough to warrant being benched. Reports also indicated that decision mostly came from Tomlin. While Wilson started out well, he crashed hard down the stretch. Still, Tomlin didn’t go back to Fields.
There are some reasons to believe the Steelers would’ve been better off with Fields starting, though. Wilson’s deep ball looked like a better fit for George Pickens, but Fields might have been a better fit for Arthur Smith’s offense overall. Allegedly, Wilson and Smith didn’t see eye-to-eye, with the offensive coordinator reportedly preferring Fields.
Therefore, the Steelers’ offense might’ve looked more fluid if Fields had stayed in the driver’s seat. He wasn’t perfect, but his rushing ability added a dynamic element that Pittsburgh could’ve benefitted from. With Wilson, the Steelers struggled much more in the red zone, and perhaps Fields would’ve changed that.
Starting Fields could’ve also potentially helped the Steelers keep him. This offseason, he left them for the New York Jets. While it’s unclear if Pittsburgh’s decision to bench him heavily factored into that decision, it probably didn’t help.
Now, the Steelers are stuck waiting for Aaron Rodgers. Fields will have a chance to prove his worth to his former team, too. The Steelers will face the Jets in Week 1, and maybe Fields will show Tomlin why he shouldn’t have been benched.
