The Steelers are all set for the 2024 season with two new QBs at the helm. During free agency, the franchise decided to move on from Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, bringing in veteran Russell Wilson and promising talent in Justin Fields at a bargain. While HC Mike Tomlin asserted that Wilson would get the starting role and Fields would back him up, many believe that the former Bears QB could potentially take over the starting role, given that Russ hasn’t been the same since leaving Seattle. Interestingly, Mina Kimes is also one such optimist who feels the possibility of that happening.
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Kimes recently sat down with Robert Griffin on the recent episode of his RG3 and The Ones podcast to discuss the possibility of Justin taking over from the former Seahawks QB. Given Wilson’s pedigree, there shouldn’t be a whiff of competition for the starting place, but as per Mina, there is ‘no reason’ not to have competition because, despite failing to impress in Chicago, Fields has limitless potential and is ready to be harnessed. She also feels that during his time with the Bears, Justin got to show only flashes of his talent.
“I guess first and foremost, there has to be a competition. I know Tomlin’s out there saying Russell is in the pole position. There’s zero reason why it shouldn’t be a real competition,” Kimes said. “I think Fields has shown a lot of flashes that would still be interesting to me as a team. I think his ceiling is higher than Russ’s at this point.”
Notably, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a lackluster offense last season and Pickett wasn’t the sole reason why they failed to advance up to the Divisional Round. Their play-calling left a lot to be desired, and it lacked energy and panache. For that very reason, they have now brought in former Falcons HC, Arthur Smith as their new Offensive Coordinator. One of his play-calling themes is running the ball and playing a brand of football that is physical and requires the QB to be mobile. While Wilson showed his ability to scramble despite his age, Fields might be a better option in this system. The former Buckeyes has already tallied over 2200 rushing yards in the last three seasons.
On the other hand, Russell will benefit from the fact that he has thrown for more yards over the past two seasons than Justin, has a Super Bowl on his resume, and had the experience of playing in a system that focuses on not only running the ball but also creating plays when necessary.
Even though Mike Tomlin is downplaying the competition for the starting role, it would take just one game to change the entire trajectory; we’ve seen this more than a few times, and it won’t be any different in this season too.
Mike Tomlin’s Claims Are Disputed in NFL Media
A few days after the Steelers signed Wilson, Tomlin rallied behind his new QB, placing him in a pole position to be the starter for the next season. The Super Bowl-winning coach asserted that being a vet, Russ doesn’t need a learning curve and has the experience organizing the offense around him, something which Fields can learn from him. But he still assured the former Bears QB would get a fair shake.
However, not everyone is convinced by Tomlin’s statement that Russ is in a pole position to start. NFL media and analysts like Mike Florio and Chris Simms of Pro-Football Talk, believe that while Wilson will be the starter and it’s his position to lose, he shouldn’t rest on his laurels because even a small slip-up will open the doors for Fields to come in and play better than him. Former Ohio State shot-caller might even end up out-performing former Seahawks QB if he gets a crack at the QB1 position, something which Russell very well knew when he decided to sign with the Steelers.
Justin Fields will be looking at this as an opportunity to jump-start his career and get back on the track that once made him a top draft prospect. He has a perfect opportunity to impress the organization and establish a home in Pittsburgh after a turbulent spell in Chicago. Conversely, Wilson has a chance to revive his career, which stalled in Denver. It will be an interesting season for sure.
