Steelers And Arthur Smith Have Interesting Plans For Offense In 2024: "They've Already Worked On It"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the worst offenses in the league since the 2021 season when Matt Canada took over as the play-caller following just one year of being the team's quarterbacks coach. The coordinator was fired halfway through the 2023 campaign after it was evident that he was not the right man for the job. It took too long to relieve him of his duties, but excitement is coming back around in the Steel City following the hire of Arthur Smith. The experienced coach will look to restore faith in the Steelers' offense once again and has an interesting quarterback situation to deal with.

Russell Wilson signed with Pittsburgh in free agency for the veteran minimum after a disastrous stint with the Denver Broncos. Justin Fields didn't have it much better with the Chicago Bears, and he was acquired via trade following the decision to deal Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. Wilson is in "pole position" to be the starter, but the prospect of Fields blossoming into a star is certainly attractive.

Many have been wondering what the plan for Fields will be as a backup. He is too shifty and talented to remain on the bench so speculation has run rampant regarding the idea of using him in certain offensive sets. In the first ever Scoop City podcast featuring NFL insider Dianna Russini and former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel, the retired signal-caller wanted to know what Russini was hearing when it comes to the Steelers' setup at quarterback.

He believes that Fields is way too good to simply ride the bench and wanted to know if it is in the plans in Pittsburgh to use Fields in specific sets on offense. Russini confirmed that Smith already has things dialed up.

"One hundred percent, that is the plan. They've already worked on it. It's in the playbook. So you're going to see that in an Arthur Smith offense and defensive coordinators around the league are all preparing for that. That is not news to them."

This will bring a smile to the fans in the Steel City. It seems as if the fan base may be split on what it wants to see when it comes to quarterback, but with Smith leading the way and two new fresh faces, optimism is at its highest that it has been in a couple of years. Russini's insight directly insinuates that Fields won't just be a backup, but a gadget option that could be lethal in the red zone.

The eyes may be on the young player in Fields, but Russini also talked about Wilson and why the Steelers ultimately made the decision to bring him on board. The organization is looking to replicate what the approach was for the quarterback when he was having success with the Seattle Seahawks.

"As for Russell Wilson, this was a swing that the Pittsburgh Steelers were willing to make because of what Russell Wilson was at one point in Seattle, and they believe a lot of this roster in Pittsburgh reflects, at least mirrors, what we saw in Seattle."

Wilson may start in Week 1, but if he underperforms, it will be interesting to see how long the coaching staff waits to make a very big move to start Fields. It gets even more interesting if Wilson plays exceptionally well and ends up looking for big money in 2025.

Steelers Need Strong Rushing Attack In Smith's Offense

The plans to rely on the run game will be the most important aspect of Smith's offense. If the big men up front are blocking well and the rushing attack is dominant, it opens a big window to use the play-action. Defenses will have a very tough time stopping the unit and if Wilson can play at least similarly to how he did with the Seahawks, the group could shock a lot of fans and analysts alike.

Do you think Fields should be used as more than just a backup? Let us know in the comments below!

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