As NFL fans prepare for the upcoming Super Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers are locking themselves in their offices trying to figure out how to be in the same position as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles in the near future. The one thing that both of these teams have over the Steelers is a franchise quarterback.
Since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers have been searching for their guy to fill that void at the quarterback position. While many fans believed they found their quarterback in Kenny Pickett, that relationship didn't last long as General Manager Omar Khan shipped him to the Eagles for draft capital. The Steelers were hoping that either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields would stand out this past season, but after another disappointing ending to their annual campaign, fans are concerned that their beloved team is back to the drawing board.
"The crux of their anecdote was that Tomlin told them he made the switch because he had to see what Wilson could do, and if he goes back to Fields at any point, it's over, and he's sticking with him (Fields)," said Batko.
Batko believes the Steelers hadn't given up on Fields, but after seeing the last five games from Wilson -- they saw all that they needed when it comes to going into the offseason. Wilson can beat the teams that he should, but can't help beat the teams classified as contenders.
With all of the uncertainty this offseason, especially if Fields feels he could go elsewhere to start, Wilson could still be an option for the Steelers as they would need to shore up the position.
"This is my opinion now," said Batko. "I think the last five games of the season showed a pretty full picture of Wilson - the type of teams he reliably help beat and the ones he can't. And with Fields, I just get the feeling Tomlin was pushing the pause button more than the stop button. Of course, now that they're entering an uncertain offseason, they'll also have to navigate free agency and the desires of Fields himself - we know Wilson would like to come back - to shore up the quarterback position regardless."
The Steelers know that if they want to get back to the heights that they were accustomed to with Roethlisberger under center, they must find their next franchise guy that can compete with the teams deemed Super Bowl contenders consistently. With the success that Jayden Daniels had in his rookie season with the Washington Commanders, many fans are pointing to Fields as that answer. Fields has that same type of elusiveness that everyone saw Daniels put on display in the playoffs and extended plays where Wilson would take sacks.
Steelers Can Expect The Same Results If They Cannot Figure Out Their Franchise QB
The Steelers will continue to stay in this cycle of early playoff exits if they cannot find stability at quarterback. They have cycled through five starting quarterbacks since Roethlisberger's retirement and seem like they are no closer to an answer. With a draft class that isn't deep with quarterback talent, the smart move might be bringing back either Fields or Wilson on a team-friendly short term deal if the organization doesn't believe that they could be their future.
That may not be what Steelers fans want to hear, but this organization doesn't want to make the same mistake that they made with Pickett. While Fields seems to the higher ceiling than their other options, the Steelers might not have the luxury of bringing him back.
Khan and Tomlin have their work cut out for them this offseason. With so many uncertainties that are presented before them, they must have a perfect game plan to navigate through free agency and the NFL Draft to make sure that they have a roster than can compete with the top dogs of the NFL. Unfortunately for them, the available quarterback pool that they can pull from isn't screaming franchise changing talent, which could lead them making sure they bring back one of their two starters from last year that they believe gives Tomlin his best chance of competing in January.
Should the Steelers make sure Fields doesn't walk in free agency? Who do you think gives the Steelers the best chance to rid the playoff curse? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
