Kenny Pickett is expected to have competition for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback job in 2024. Veterans like Ryan Tannehill have been linked to Mike Tomlin’s team, and hiring his former offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, surely fueled those rumors.
Related: Chicago Bears’ CEO is ‘glad’ his team has Justin Fields
Since Pickett was just selected 20th overall two years ago, it’s unlikely we’ll see the Steelers invest another top draft pick in the QB position this offseason. But that doesn’t mean they’ll rule out another recently drafted first-round pick.
Pittsburgh Steelers could be perfect for Justin Fields
It’s not easy to find franchise quarterbacks. Mike Tomlin knows this all too well after experiencing the rollercoaster seasons without Ben Roethlisberger entrenched at the position.
While there are plenty of examples of finding franchise solutions later on, typically, teams feel they need a top-ten pick to land an elite talent, but the Steelers are never in that position.
Then, there’s this famous quote from Coach Tomlin when he faced off against Chase Young, who was the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
"You gotta lose 14-15 games to get a guy that looks like you."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 9, 2020
Mike Tomlin knows it'd take a lot to be able to draft someone like Chase Young 😅
(via @NFLFilms) https://t.co/yIAX4A0rDG
With zero losing seasons in Tomlin’s 17 seasons in Pittsburgh, his words ring true. When he says he doesn’t ever plan on being bad enough to have a top-five pick, he means it.
If they’re not ready to invest a top pick in the position so soon, how else can the Steelers land a player who seemingly has all the traits necessary to develop into a difference-maker?
One way could be to take a gamble on another recently drafted first-round pick like Justin Fields, who the Chicago Bears may be eager to make available if they’re sold on drafting Caleb Williams.
Just like players such as Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota worked well under new Steelers playcaller Arthur Smith, Fields’ dual-threat ability may be a perfect fit.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Steelers are the “ideal spot” for Fields this offseason.
“Add it up, and I actually think the Pittsburgh Steelers are the ideal landing spot for Fields, where he’d enter into a competition with Kenny Pickett, plus have an improving offensive line and talented group of skill players around him. I think it’d work for the Steelers, too, giving them two shots at finding a long-term answer, rather than just one, at the position. That said, there’s merit, too, to going with someone whom Smith knows, like Tannehill.”
Albert Breer on Pittburgh Steelers being an ideal spot for Justin Fields
This also meshes with other reports that suggest Coach Tomlin is a ‘big fan’ of Fields as a prospect, with the Steelers becoming favorites to land the former 11th overall pick.
The Steelers are coming off a 10-win season, but they still have other needs, and trading for Fields, as Breer noted, may only cost a Day 2 plus a Day 3 pick. If that’s what it takes to find a potential franchise quarterback, it’s a price worth paying.
Pairing Fields with Pickett sounds like a better plan than Pickett and a random veteran when it comes to long-term upside. Now that Mitch Trubisky has been released, in addition to Mason Rudolph being set for free agency, the Steelers need a better backup plan in place, and Fields may be the perfect fit.
