The conversation surrounding who should start for the Pittsburgh Steelers at quarterback in 2024 has heated up over the past week after the projected starter, Russell Wilson, was forced to sit out the first four practices of training camp, which allowed projected backup, Justin Fields, to get first-team reps.
And, by all accounts, Fields has made the most of his opportunity thus far, which has only added fuel to the fire of the starting quarterback debate in Pittsburgh.
One person who's throwing more gasoline on that fire is former NFL offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst, Damien Woody, who thinks Pittsburgh will be making a mistake if they start Wilson over Fields.
"The Pittsburgh Steelers have been safe now it seems like for years," Woody said. "They've been going 10-6, 10-7. Yeah, Mike Tomlin hasn't had a losing season, but what's the standard in Pittsburgh? I thought the standard was trying to go get (championships).
"When I look at Russell Wilson, honestly, it's more of the same of what we expect of Pittsburgh: Just safe. You've got a dynamic athlete in Justin Fields on your roster right now, and so any great coach placates to the talent that's on the roster.
"You went out this offseason, you drafted multiple linemen. Your whole intent is you're going to bludgeon people and play great defense. So, you have the ultimate running quarterback on your roster in Justin Fields; why not utilize that?"
"Could you imagine if you unleased Justin Fields in that offense, what this Pittsburgh team could be? They could be something like Baltimore, and guess what, you can go a long way playing that style of football," Woody concluded.
.@damienwoody thinks the Steelers should start Justin Fields over Russell Wilson 👀
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 30, 2024
"You have the ultimate running quarterback on your roster in Justin Fields. ... They could be something like Baltimore." pic.twitter.com/fgTvpN1iJq
While the Steelers would certainly be more interesting with Fields' dynamic skill set under center, he hardly guarantees more success. After all, it's not like the Ravens have won a Super Bowl with "that style of football."
Adding to that, Fields had three years in Chicago to cement himself as the team's franchise quarterback, yet he was traded without a second thought once the Bears had the No. 1 overall pick — and he only garnered a conditional sixth-round pick in return, blowing up the media narrative that he was worth more.
There's no doubt that the media is pining for the juice of a change of direction at the quarterback position in Pittsburgh, but the fact of the matter is that, on paper, Wilson gives the Steelers the best chance to win right now when you put his and Fields' track records side-by-side.
That's not a knock on Fields, who definitely offers upside and could really thrive with the right situation around him. It's just the way it is currently.
Now, that's not to say Wilson's job is set in stone, because it certainly isn't. But he's going to get the first crack at it, and Fields will be right there to try and pick up the pieces if Wilson can't get the job done.
