The Pittsburgh Steelers were thought to have improved the quarterback room over the 2024 offseason. They got rid of every player at the position from 2023, and brought in two exciting options in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Many thought the quarterback play couldn't get worse than what was seen from Kenny Pickett in 2023, but so far in the preseason, the position has left a lot to desire. Pittsburgh may have a quarterback issue as the battle for the starting job continues.
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Steelers' Justin Fields throws the football during Friday Night Lights.
Another reason for fans to be optimistic for the offense going into the 2024 season was the hiring of new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith. Smith was one of the best play-callers in the league before leaving the Tennessee Titans to be a head coach, and he is looking to have the same success with the Steelers. Gregg Rosenthal and Nick Shook broke down the play of Fields during the preseason and the fit with Smith on the most recent episode of the podcast NFL Daily With Gregg Rosenthal. Shook gave some crushing analysis with what he saw when the Steelers took on the Buffalo Bills.
"I was hoping after coming into Pittsburgh that he [Fields] would kind of be able to take the next step with Arthur Smith as his OC. Instead, I think it might be a bad fit."
To be fair, it's only preseason. Everything seen on a football field during this time should be taken with a grain of salt. In 2023 for example, the Steelers looked perfect during the preseason and Pickett looked like he could be a dark horse MVP candidate, and that did not carry into the regular season whatsoever. It's important to note that teams don't particularly game plan during the preseason, so suggesting Fields doesn't fit with Smith's offense right now is premature. Smith can scheme up betting plays that fit Fields' playstyle once the games actually mean something.
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Quarterback Justin Fields celebrates during his time with the Chicago Bears.
Fields' career has been a rollercoaster. He clearly has a ton of potential thanks to his limitless athleticism, but hasn't been able to put everything together and prove that he can live up to what is expected of him. He has shown flashes of being great over the last three seasons, but has struggled with consistency. Shook spoke more about the issues that were seen with Fields and his performance.
"It's not consistent. It's not reliable enough to think that this guy can go out there and do that on a weekly basis. It's more of the 'lightning in a bottle' style of football that you never build your team around."
The fourth-year quarterback ignited excitement throughout the Steelers fan base when he began to use his legs Saturday night. He finished the game with 42 rushing yards and consistently extended plays in the backfield. The possibilities of what he could do in the regular season are exciting to think about, but he needs to prove he can protect the football and perform at a high level as a passer.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields (2) and Russell Wilson (3) during training camp ahead of the 2024 season.
Steelers Quarterback Battle Will Continue Another Week
Wilson is still tabbed as the starter on the team's official depth chart, but the competition between the two quarterbacks is alive and well. The upcoming week of practice as Pittsburgh prepares to take on the Detroit Lions will hold a lot of importance when it comes to who will be the starting quarterback in Week 1.
Fields will have a lot of ground to cover in order to win the starting job. He will need to seriously impress coaches during the next week of practices and the last preseason game. Wilson will likely need to struggle mightily as well in order to revert him to the backup spot. However, neither quarterback has really proven they should be the starter based off what was seen at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday night.
What do you think of the analysis from Shook? Let us know in the comments below!
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