The Pittsburgh Steelers will be going through a quarterback controversy throughout the entire 2024 season. If Russell Wilson starts and does not have great performances, Steeler Nation and the media will call for him to be benched. The exact same scenario will happen if Justin Fields starts and does not live up to the hype he had early on in his career. The Steelers will have a lot of pressure to not only pick the best quarterback, but make a change when necessary.
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Now Steelers' quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields meet on the field following a professional football matchup at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.
Mike Tannenbaum, the former general manager for the New York Jets, was asked about the Steelers' quarterback controversy while appearing on Get Up. He shot down the idea of a two-quarterback system and then talked about who the favorite should be in the locker room.
"I think you have to declare who your quarterback is and move forward... If I'm Justin Fields, I am dying to win this job, because if I do, it just changes the trajectory of my career. Look, Russell Wilson deserves a ton of credit. He obviously loves football, but he's much closer to the end, and if Mike Tomlin was telling the obvious truth, of course they're going to root for Justin Fields because of his age. If they hit on him, they have their quarterback for the next decade."
Both Fields and Wilson are looking for career revivals. Wilson went from being the savior for the Denver Broncos to the punching bag and Sean Payton's scapegoat. Meanwhile, Fields couldn't ever reach the ceiling that made the Chicago Bears trade up for him, and it didn't help that they had a potential generational talent available at quarterback for them in Caleb Williams.
Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times
Bears quarterback Justin Fields scrambles out of the pocket as his team participates in a professional football game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.
Fields has the higher upside, as he is only 25 years old and still has plenty of talent with his arms and legs. However, Mike Tomlin has named Wilson the starting quarterback throughout training camp, and he may be more hesitant to give Fields the chance to start in Week 1. Either way, not only will they both have to prove that they can be the full-time starters, but they have to prove that deserve another contract after the 2024 season.
Even though Fields becoming the full-time starter is the most ideal situation, there is a reason he was acquired for very cheap. The Steelers will only give up a fourth-round pick if he does win the starting job early enough to play over 50% of the snaps for the Steelers. There is no guarantee that Fields can out-duel Wilson in training camp, and the Steelers made the compensation for the Bears' trade conditional due to that, at least partially.
Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo
Former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields runs away from former Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton during a 2021 regular season game at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA..
What If Steelers Don't Give Fields The Starting Role?
Even with the fact that the Steelers declined Fields' fifth-year option and are anticipating him being the backup for Wilson, they will still likely give him a one-year extension. Even if he does not play a snap in 2024, they may treat him like a rookie and have him sit and learn behind Wilson, so he can develop and be more prepared to start in 2025.
If the Steelers do want to treat Fields like a prospect, they will give him time to develop and eventually play, even if it's not in 2024. If he does not get an extension during training camp or preseason, that may be a major red flag by the team, especially with how weak the 2025 draft class is alleged to be. Whether or not he develops properly is still to be determined.
