The Pittsburgh Steelers had as interesting an offseason in its quarterback room as anyone in the league. They worked out a team-friendly deal with exiled veteran Russell Wilson and, when it was obvious the Chicago Bears were going to take Caleb Williams with the first pick of the draft, Justin Fields became available in trade at a discounted price. The Kenny Pickett era ended in an instant, and the franchise moved on.
Russell Wilson
His divorce in Denver was predetermined despite Wilson being markedly better in 2023 than 2022. In 15 games, he threw for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions – although, more than 25% of his passes were thrown behind the line of scrimmage (the highest percentage in almost 20 years).
He may be the greatest “game manager” in NFL history. That’s not the insult it’s perceived to be. Wilson had his choice of teams he could go to after being released. The Steelers only needed to pony up $1.2 million (Denver pays the rest), so he was clearly given the assurance that he is the Week 1 starter and doesn’t have to look over his shoulder.
However, when he has a more dynamic player behind him, who is 10 years his junior, with a much bigger upside and brighter future to be a long-term solution, Wilson will need to rekindle the old magic to keep his spot.
Justin Fields
Fields was drafted by Chicago (11th overall) in 2021 to be a dual-threat quarterback, which has become the rage in the NFL. While promising as a passer and a dynamic runner (2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns in 40 career games), when the pick Chicago received from Carolina in a trade in 2023 turned out to be the No. 1 pick, Fields was sent packing.
He came to Pittsburgh via trade – unlike Wilson, he had no final say in his next NFL destination. The belief is the Steelers will find ways to maximize his talent as both a passer and runner and may create sub-packages for him, like Taysom Hill has in New Orleans, but he enters training camp as the No. 2 option and something will have to change significantly to alter that trajectory.
Fantasy football outlook
Wilson and Fields are in a fantasy no man’s land. Too many factors point away from them ending up on fantasy draft day rosters. Fields has more pure athletic talent and running ability, but Wilson was brought in to bring a veteran presence – a blueprint that has worked often with other veteran QBs who have moved on to playoff-capable teams.
Perhaps the most problematic aspect for both of them is the hiring of Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator. The last two teams Smith coached with were Tennessee and Atlanta – two of the most run-heavy offenses when he was there. No team had a lower pass-play percentage the last two years than Smith’s Atlanta Falcons. He likes to run and the Steelers are built to do just that, which largely negates fantasy success for their quarterbacks. Another negative aspect to consider is Pittsburgh’s lack of top-tier aerial weapons.
Unless you are in leagues with a lot of teams and massive rosters, neither Wilson nor Fields warrants drafting. It will take a fantasy team that loses at least one quarterback to injury before either will have value.
