Steelers Insider Believes Team Doesn't Completely Trust Justin Fields As Starting Quarterback Yet

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to roll with Justin Fields as their starting quarterback once again, as the team is 2-0 so far with him at the helm in 2024. Russell Wilson was limited again in practice all throughout the week, and he is listed as questionable for the upcoming Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Calf injuries tend to linger for a long time, so who knows if/when Wilson will be healthy enough to play. Until that happens, Fields will continue to take the reins for the offense and lead them onto the field. 

However, the Steelers seem to be anxiously waiting for Wilson's return. Mark Kaboly made an appearance on 93.7 The Fan and mentioned that the coaching staff still sees the veteran as the starting quarterback. 

While Fields hasn't had the best stats during his time in Pittsburgh, he has ironically done exactly what the Steelers wanted from Wilson: protect the ball, be conservative overall, and give the team a chance to win. Outside of some issues between him and Zach Frazier on the snap exchange, the young dual-threat signal-caller has yet to turn the ball over while playing safe, efficient football during his first two games of the season. 

Why Would The Steelers Lack Faith In Fields?

As mentioned earlier, Fields and Frazier have not been on the same page. There have been multiple botched quarterback/center exchanges during the first two games. Fields had that same issue when Nate Herbig was playing first-team center during their preseason Week 1 game. Those need to get cleaned up, and quickly.

Over his first two games of the new season, Fields has completed 30 passes out of 43 attempts for 273 yards and just one touchdown, while also taking four sacks. Those numbers are still below average, even with the sudden drop-off in passing efficiency across the league. He still has yet to fix some of his mechanical flaws, but he has shown plenty of upside. A lot of his issues may not be his fault, however. 

After his first game, Steeler Nation was very concerned about the fact that Fields did not even attempt a pass over the middle. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith later clarified that that was planned to keep the Atlanta Falcons' star safety, Jessie Bates, from wrecking the game entirely. In Week 2, Fields started attempting passes over the middle without the fear of an elite safety coming in and taking the game over. 

There's also the glaring hole at wide receiver. Fields clearly only trusts one receiver, and that's George Pickens. The wideout with the second-most catches on the team is Van Jefferson, and he only has three. He has gotten some usage out of Pat Freiermuth from the tight end spot. One wideout and one tight end is not enough for a young quarterback that's still trying to develop, however. If the Steelers want to put trust in Fields, they need to give him weapons that he's comfortable with.

Wilson enters Week 3 at the top of the depth chart, like he has been since the beginning of training camp. However, with the calf injury combined with limited first-team reps since July, it may take him some time to truly get back up to speed. Fields has also not done poorly so far, and if he can keep developing, why should he get benched? Even if Wilson is a slight upgrade, Fields has the much higher upside, and it's likely best to see how much he can develop, as opposed to starting the veteran for seniority reasons.

What do you think about the idea that the Steelers still see Wilson as their starter, as opposed to Fields? Let us know in the comments.

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