The Pittsburgh Steelers announced their starting quarterback. NFL insider and analyst at Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio, believes the Steelers should be putting their faith in Justin Fields as their number-one quarterback over veteran, Russell Wilson.
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Florio was quizzed on the Steelers’ chances in the 2024/25 NFL season on 93.5 The Fan in Pittsburgh. He says the team’s hierarchy would be “crazy” if it left Fields on the sidelines as Pittsburgh’s backup quarterback.
Although the Steelers reached the postseason playoffs as a wild card last year, they were soundly beaten at the first hurdle by the Buffalo Bills. There are very few people in the NFL world who believe the Steelers have even a hint of a chance of winning the Super Bowl this time around.
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Florio believes Pittsburgh’s best chance of maximizing its offense is by picking Fields as their starting quarterback. Florio said his view was based on the “way the offensive lines" played during preseason. He also mentioned the absence of Jaylen Warren due to injury, which means the Steelers’ offense lacks “burst.” He said the only way the team’s hierarchy gets “excitement” into this roster is by selecting Fields.
At face value, Fields was hard done by at the Chicago Bears
As the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Justin Fields was hot property when the Chicago Bears moved to get their man. He was a five-star quarterback prospect, penning a four-year rookie contract worth a guaranteed $18.8 million.
In the 2021-22 season, Fields played second fiddle to starting quarterback Andy Dalton, but appeared in four plays in the opening game. He would soon come in to deputise for the injured Dalton and establish himself at NFL level. In his 2023-24 NFL season, he set a career-best completion percentage and passing yard figures, throwing a career-low nine interceptions, too.
Unfortunately for Fields, the Bears had first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, so he was an easy trade for Chicago. Fields was in philosophical mood in January, insisting he’d given it his all while he was a Bears player. Two months on, he was traded to Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2025.
Florio: Fields is the one who can pull a rabbit out of a hat
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields runs with the football against the Bills.
One of the biggest issues for the Steelers going into the regular season is the injury situation. They’ve experienced a string of injuries across the offensive line, including at tackle, which unsurprisingly affects the pocket and general play of the offense. Florio is adamant that Fields’ mobility can help to withstand the increased pressure more than an ageing Wilson. Florio’s view was backed up in the Steelers’ recent preseason game with the Bills, where Fields’ scrambles yielded the team’s best plays of the contest.
If the offense is missing some of its star quality, Florio believes the team should pick Fields based solely on his ability to “make things happen” out of nothing. Florio said that if the Steelers’ “protection falls apart,” the only way to overcome this is to pick the quarterback capable of “improvising.”
The Steelers’ hierarchy has chosen Wilson as their starter, but his lingering calf injury has his status in question. If he's healthy, he will give it a go as reported on Friday afternoon. If so, Fields could be used in packaged plays throughout Week 1. Although this sounds good in theory, if it doesn’t work out, Pittsburgh’s postseason chances are surely in tatters before a ball has been thrown.
