Few teams in the NFL shuffled the deck through the offseason as much as the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Most notably, the Steelers moved on from 2022 draftee Kenny Pickett, and brought in two former starting quarterbacks to fill out the depth chart: Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
As things stand, Wilson appears to have pole position on landing the starting job in Pittsburgh, but it’s possible that Fields is the better value for winning one particular award for the coming season.
Brad Gagnon at Bleacher Report named Fields as one of his potential dark horse picks to win Comeback Player of the Year at 40/1 odds. Here’s what Gagnon had to say:
“What if a fresh setting is what the doctor ordered? There's no denying his talent and athletic ability, and it's possible he'll beat out Russell Wilson and take off in Pittsburgh. If so, he'd have to be considered here.”
While it would certainly be a long journey for Fields to win the award, it feels more feasible than his current odds would indicate.
First off, as last year showed, it is extremely difficult to predict what metrics will sway voters for this specific award, with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin leading the odds all season only to see veteran quarterback Joe Flacco win the hardware.
Further, Fields has the play-making ability to put up both the numbers and the highlight-reel plays that will grab the attention of voters. If he can get on the field with any amount of regularity, and that is a big if, his odds would undoubtedly shoot down the board fast.
It’s worth noting that Wilson’s odds of winning the award are pretty solid as well, currently listed at 25/1 at DraftKings.
If you are a believer in the Steelers’ offense this year, either quarterback could be worth taking a shot on.
