The Pittsburgh Steelers turned the NFL world upside down this offseason by shaking up their quarterback room. Just two years removed from being the lone team to take a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Steelers cut ties with every player at the position this offseason, and looked to start anew. Now, less that a week away from training camp and two months away from the regular season opener, the questions of who will be the Steelers' starter beyond the 2024 season have begun to sprout again.
The Steelers kicked the offseason off by bringing in longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson. After a disappointing two seasons with the Denver Broncos, Wilson was cut, leading him to Pittsburgh on a one-year veteran minimum deal. Shortly after, the Steelers made another move with the Chicago Bears to acquire Justin Fields for draft compensation in 2025. Both players aren't at the top of the league's quarterback pecking order, but can provide stability at a position for the first time since Ben Roethlisberger.
Currently, the debate over the room is the future at the position. Wilson enters into 2024 at the age of 35, and Fields is slated for free agency at the end of the year, following the declining of his fifth-year option. The Steelers reportedly wish to keep both quarterbacks beyond this season, but that will likely depend on their performance on the field. Though unlikely to start initially in Pittsburgh, Fields has been projected to be the future in the Steel City by many in the national media. During an episode of ESPN's Get Up, NFL analyst Louis Riddick gives his reasoning as to why the Fields experience shouldn't be a one-year deal.
"Talking to Arthur Smith and knowing him like I do. Being around Mike Tomlin and knowing how he really does covet guys with this kind of diverse skill set. I just don't see him being a one-and-done deal player. I just don't see it simply because I don't think they brought him in there with that being the intention, number one. I think the connection between he and Arthur Smith... knowing Arthur as long as I do, he loves this kid's skill set. Loves It. I think he (Fields) is the future in Pittsburgh. I'm gonna stay with that. I think he's the future, you're gonna see Justin Fields in Western Pennsylvania for the foreseeable future."
The Steelers need the quarterback room to produce this season, but in the event they don't, they're not in a committed relationship beyond 2024. Both Fields and Wilson are pending free agents at the end of the season, opening the door to bringing in other candidates for the position next offseason where players like Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, and Tua Tagovailoa are currently scheduled to be available. If not in free agency, the Steelers could look towards the draft, where several unproven options await.
Why The Steelers Need Fields To Be The Future
Even though the Steelers have an answer for most spots on the roster now, there are several questions to be answered next season. Beside Wilson and Fields, several other core members of the Steelers' roster are scheduled to be free agents in 2025, including Cameron Heyward and Najee Harris. The Black and Gold may have a relatively young roster now all under team control, but the key to long-term success is consistently bringing in young talent. With needs in the secondary, wide receiver room, and the defensive line, General Manager Omar Khan would likely rather keep draft picks available for other areas of need if it can be helped. There is plenty of cap space for next season, but it must be used wisely.
Perhaps more than the Steelers need Fields to be the future, he needs the Steelers to be his future. After a rough few seasons in Chicago where Fields never truly elevated himself as the future of the position, he joins other Bears quarterback prospects over the past few seasons on other teams. Notably, former Steelers and Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky was a high selection by the Bears that had coaching blamed for his failure. Upon getting his first true chance to start outside of Chicago, Trubisky failed and returned to Buffalo to be a backup.
Similarly, Fields will be given an opportunity to fight for a starting role in the NFL outside of Chicago. If Fields can't bounce back, and prove he learned from his mistakes in Chicago, he may be relegated to a career backup role. It's unknown whether Fields will see time with the Steelers in 2024, but following the path Trubisky set for him, Fields can take a year off in Pittsburgh, sign a one-two year contract with the Steelers, and have the upper hand next season. It's his job to impress this season, and make himself hard to walk away from for next year in order to cement his place in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future.
