The Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the more interesting 2024 offseasons out of any team in the NFL. The biggest storyline has to be the one surrounding the franchise's quarterback position. Kenny Pickett was the team's first-round draft pick back in 2022 and was shipped off across the state of Pennsylvania, leading to his current status being a back-up for the Philadelphia Eagles. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will hold down the fort in the Steel City, but the veteran in Wilson is expected to lead the way. That doesn't mean that Fields won't be involved, however. The young signal-caller could still make an immediate impact.
One isn't inclined to connect Fields to the incredibly versatile Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints, but it's clear that the former first-round pick has a future Hall of Fame quarterback thinking creatively about Fields' abilities. Drew Brees recently joined The Dan Patrick Show and discussed the possibility of Fields acting as a gadget, much like the Saints have used Hill as over the years.
"Justin Fields obviously has an incredible skillset and I'm excited to see how Pittsburgh uses him [in 2024]. I would actually envision a situation where it's almost a Taysom Hill-type package like we had in New Orleans, where Russell is your starting quarterback. Justin Fields is getting seven to 10 snaps a game. You know how problematic that would be for a defense, right? He can come in and do many things explosively in the run game and the pass game."
It would certainly be interesting for the Steelers to use Fields similarly to how the Saints use Hill. It really wouldn't make sense, given the fact that Fields is much more of a natural quarterback than Hill. It can't be argued that putting Fields in the some kind of wild cat formation could be effective, but throwing him in as a tight end and wide receiver like Hill might be a step too far.
Brees is bound to be in the Hall of Fame in the near future, but it's safe to say that he enjoyed the luxury of Hill a bit too much. Fields won't step in with that kind of role, but the Steelers could get creative and use him on the kickoff return team given the new rules that have everyone questioning how strategic teams could end up being.
The other factor that Brees might not be considering is Wilson nearing the ripe age of 36. Forget about potential injury; Fields could be named the starting quarterback prior to Thanksgiving if the veteran in front of him struggles early on. Using Fields in any sort of offensive packages that could result in injury isn't likely to be on the table for new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his staff are sure to have an overall plan for the Wilson and Fields combo, but it's unlikely that the former Chicago Bears signal-caller ends up playing a Hill-like role in the Steel City.
Steelers Expected To Have Predictable, But Much More Effective Offense In 2024
Matt Canada was arguably the worst hire of Tomlin's tenure. The approach on the offensive end wasn't just boring, but predictable on top of that. Smith and Pittsburgh aren't going to hide the run-first approach, but a revamped offensive line along with an expectation that the play-action is used more often should lead to a more efficient unit.
