Although veteran Russell Wilson enters the 2024 season because the Pittsburgh Steelers’ beginning quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the final perception is that backup quarterback Justin Fields could have some type of position in the course of the season for the Black and Gold, and in the end might be the beginning quarterback for the franchise in some unspecified time in the future within the season.
Loads rides on the play on the quarterback place this season for the Steelers, who’ve a star-studded protection and have upgraded the offensive line together with bringing in a confirmed commodity in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
After going 10-7 final season and reaching the playoffs, the Steelers are aiming to take the following step as a franchise, getting over the hump within the playoffs. Doing that this season shall be powerful with a really troublesome schedule, particularly late within the season after the Week 9 bye week.
Due to this fact, the quarterback place goes to be below heavy scrutiny.
For ESPN’s Ben Solak, each Wilson and Fields are the Steelers’ X components for the 2024 season.
“I should be trustworthy and admit that practical quarterback play is such a giant deal in Pittsburgh that I’ll break my non-QB rule and deal with Wilson and Fields. I do know for a reality this can be a playoff-caliber roster as a result of Mike Tomlin has dragged it to the playoffs, 12 months over 12 months, regardless of the insupportable play of Kenny Pickett and Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph and late-career Ben Roethlisberger,” Solak writes for ESPN.com. “If Wilson, the Week 1 starter, can present worth as a deep-ball artist or quick-game distributor, it should assist the Steelers go from humorous playoff story to precise playoff risk.
“And if he can’t? Then maybe Fields’ legs, which lengthy stored poor Chicago offenses afloat, will do the identical in Pittsburgh. So long as the Steelers get, say, the Twentieth-best quarterback play within the league this season, they need to win double-digit video games. Huge if!”
Practical QB play for the Steelers is of the utmost significance.
Final season, the Steelers didn’t actually get competent quarterback play till Mason Rudolph stepped into the lineup in Week 16 towards the Cincinnati Bengals. He led the Steelers to a few straight wins, together with two straight video games during which they scored 30 or extra factors, one thing that they had struggled to do within the Matt Canada period.
Issues are totally different now with Wilson and Fields within the fold. The Steelers seemingly upgraded their quarterback place, bringing in a confirmed winner in Wilson, and a possible future franchise quarterback in Fields with all the expertise on the planet however needing a reset after three powerful years in Chicago.
Wilson’s deep-ball talents and his quick-game distributions, as Solak identified, shall be key. It’s what matches nicely in Arthur Smith’s offense, which might want to carry its weight this season after it was a defense-heavy staff the previous few seasons for the Steelers. Whereas they’ve the horses defensively to try this once more, the Steelers’ offense must be higher and extra competent.
That’s why Smith was introduced in.
On the skin trying in, the QB scenario may not be all that encouraging for the Steelers. But when Pittsburgh can simply get practical, competent QB play, the offense ought to be stable with an amazing run recreation, and the protection will create quick fields and restrict factors as soon as once more. That theoretically ought to lead the Steelers to 10 or 11 wins and one other playoff berth.
How far they go after that although shall be as much as the quarterback place.
