It’s been quite the offseason in Pittsburgh.
Who would have thought a year ago that we’d be entering the 2024 season with Kenny Pickett wearing Philadelphia Eagle green?
Better yet, who in the world would have thought that BOTH Russell Wilson and Justin Fields would be wearing the famous black and gold???
Yet here we are…
While there will certainly be an open competition for the starting quarterback position, head coach Mike Tomlin has already let it be known that the job is Wilson’s to lose.
By all accounts, both Wilson and Fields have made strong impressions on their teammates.
“I’m excited for both of them,” Steelers star T.J. Watt previously said. “To be able to have some big-time new faces and some guys who have played at a high level. Especially Russ, a guy who’s won a Super Bowl in the locker room.
“I’m just hoping I can learn something from those guys, and hopefully show them how things are done in Pittsburgh, as well.
“I haven’t won a playoff game my whole career there, so I’m open to any type of information where we can continue to get better and hopefully those guys can help us do that.”
Unfortunately for Fields, his on-field performance has reportedly gotten off to a very rocky start.
Multiple reports indicate that Fields has been struggling during offseason workouts.
“His timing is off, his ball placement is suspect and he often seems disengaged,” one report stated.
Steelers reporter Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirmed the struggles.
“Fields, from what I’ve seen, they had a month of spring practices here and he’s a terrific athlete, but really the knocks against him that I heard coming in actually turned out to be true,” Fittipaldo said on SiriusXM radio.
“He’s not terribly accurate with the ball. His placement isn’t all that great, and I could see them maybe having a package or two for him each week depending on the opponent, but this is Russell Wilson’s team.”
The Bears drafted Fields with the #11 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Although he still has plenty of supporters, the fact of the matter is Fields’ tenure in Chicago was a great disappointment.
The same reoccurring problems kept popping up as he routinely struggled with his accuracy and slow processing of defenses.
Having said that, Chicago would have likely held onto Fields if circumstances were different.
However, holding the #1 overall pick entering this past April’s draft, the Bears were completely sold on USC quarterback Caleb Williams, which made the decision to move on from Fields very easy.
Pittsburgh smartly acquired Fields for a bag of balls in a true low-risk, high-reward move.
There are much worse situations for Fields to be in. Although he’s expected to be the backup to Wilson, the Steelers will likely have a few tricks up their sleeves when it comes to special packages involving Fields.
The Steelers chose not to exercise the fifth-year option on Fields’ rookie contract, which means the Ohio State product could become a free agent next year unless Pittsburgh’s front office opts to extend his contract beforehand.
Either way, it’s Wilson who is expected to be under center when Week 1 rolls around.
The Steelers will open the season on the road against Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons on September 8th.
What are your thoughts on the reports of Fields’ struggles?
Of course, it’s not easy to learn a brand-new playbook and offense. So, in many ways, struggles are to be expected early on.
Having said that, are you concerned that there might be a bigger issue?
Or do you think the reports are a whole lot to do about nothing?
At the end of the day, what are your expectations for Fields, Wilson and the Steelers this season???
