2 days Ago By Brogan Noey, Steeler Nation
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a ton of questions surrounding the quarterback position going into the 2024 season. The organization acquired both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson during the offseason, and the two competed for the starting job during training camp. Wilson won the gig, but has been dealing with a nagging calf injury that has kept him as a limited participant during practice and forced Fields to take over the starting duties.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin has already said Fields will likely start in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Steelers' fan base has been fairly split on who they want the starting quarterback to be. Legendary Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger gave his thoughts on the situation, and he chose Fields .
Other media members have weighed in as well, and the majority of people seem to think Fields has done enough to earn the starting gig, whether Wilson is healthy or not. Former NFL quarterback and current analyst, Dan Orlovsky, was on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, where he shared some bold statements regarding Fields. "I've said this, I think Justin [Fields] should be their starter and I think they could beat basically anybody with him.
" Roethlisberger shared this same sentiment on Monday when he delivered a warning to the NFL about how efficient Fields is playing and how dominant the defense looks. It is the perfect winning formula, especially when you consider the kind of offense Arthur Smith runs. It's run-heavy; if Pittsburgh can operate that system effectively, they can eat up a lot of clock, and keep their elite defense refreshed and ready to go.
Pat McAfee and the rest of his co-hosts began to ask Orlovsky about the Steelers' chances to win the Super Bowl, and whether or not that is what he meant when he stated they could beat anybody. This is when Orlovsky began to walk back his original statement, but still stands by Fields and his opinion that he should be the season-long starting quarterback for the Steelers. "That's a stretch, I don't think they're explosive enough.
I don't think they're explosive enough to beat, probably like your Houston's, your Kansas City's, I think the Jets could get hot, Buffalo. My point in saying that is I don't think they can do that with Russ. I just don't, I don't believe that they're capable of doing that with Russ.
I believe if they continue to progress, I could see them becoming more on offense." Orlovsky only sees Pittsburgh becoming more explosive on offense if Fields is at the helm, and that is likely due to the sky-high potential of his athleticism. He adds another element to their offense when he is on the field.
Wilson has limited mobility due to his age, and even more so now with the calf injury. It's hard to tell how long that will linger. Fields is 2-0 as the starter in Pittsburgh, and the offense certainly has room to grow, but what has been seen so far from the unit is promising.
Steelers' Offense Will Continue To Evolve Pittsburgh has a clear identity on offense, and they want to run the ball with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren . Fields was kind of thrust into the starting role unexpectedly, so Smith is still trying to find his stride when it comes to calling an offense in-game with Fields as the starting quarterback. The offense will continue to progress and grow as the season goes along, and Smith will find ways to utilize Fields that will likely lead to some more explosive plays.
If Fields can continue on his current trajectory and can retain the starting job once Wilson returns to full health, Fields and the offense can feel more comfortable and start to be less conservative . This offense has a ton of potential and is better than what has been seen in recent years, they just need to find their stride. This article first appeared on SteelerNation.
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