Finding a great quarterback is like finding a diamond in a ruff, but replacing a Hall of Famer at the position is like navigating a landmine field. The New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers are still not trying to replace Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger which has resulted in multiple losing seasons. The Steelers entered the offseason as the only team from this group to have a winning record last year and make the playoffs. However, the Steelers have not won a playoff game in 7 years when they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 18-16 in Alex Smith’s last game as the Chiefs starter. It means they have no win since Patrick Mahomes became a starter in the league, and the man now has 3 Lombardi Trophy. The Steelers have been aggressive in getting more production for the most critical position in sports by acquiring Russell Wilson and Justin Fields while trading Kenny Pickett across the state to Philadelphia. In this article, we discuss what is good, bad, and ugly about the team’s quarterback position.
1. The Good- the Steelers are in a position where they have flexibility and healthy competition at the quarterback position. The Broncos releasing Wilson means they have to pay $38 million this year, and the Steelers will pay only $1.2 Million in salary while Fields will make 3.3 million dollars. It means they have only 4.5 million dollars dedicated to the quarterback position and almost 15 million in cap space. The team could use the cap space to sign a veteran wideout like Mike Williams or Tyler Boyd. Also, there are always injuries, and the space could allow them to sign a player in the event of an injury. Another benefit of the situation is the head-to-head battle between Wilson and Fields to be the starter. It has been reported that Tomlin intends to make Wilson his starting quarterback, but Fields will get his chance to win the spot and impress. The Steelers hope, as the Bible states, iron sharpeth iron to challenge for the Lombardi trophy.
2. The Bad- the Steelers join the long list of teams in recent years that have quickly given up on their future by trading the 1st round pick. The team failed to get equal compensation for Pickett and settled for a third-round pick and two seventh rounders. However, it is still better than the sixth-round pick they gave the Bears to acquire Fields. Another potential problem that may arise for the team is that the locker room and even fans may become divided on who should be the starter. If Wilson struggles, people will clamor for his benching and vice versa. It’s easy to envision the media pushing the drama surrounding the team and who should rightfully start. Wilson vs Fields may become the lead story debated on the big sports talk shows. It could cripple the team and the fan base.
3. The Ugly- the future of their quarterback situation is clear as mud despite the savvy moves. Russell Wilson is now playing for his third team in four years, and his productivity has declined. Wilson will be out to prove that his Denver years were an aberration, but the Steelers must grapple with the possibility of him failing to deliver. The Chicago Bears decided that the potential of drafting Caleb Williams and resetting at the quarterback position was better than keeping and extending Justin Fields. Fields has shown flashes of brilliance but was far too inconsistent in throwing the football to be the franchise player. The grim possibility for Steel City is that both players will not sparkle, the team finishes in another wild card spot with a winning record but then gets bounced early from the playoffs. It means they will be in the same scenario next year, without a high draft pick and not knowing who the franchise quarterback is to replace Big Ben.
Hopefully, it will not be Ground Hogs Day in Pittsburgh under center. It could all pay dividends, or it might end in a disaster. We will have to stay tuned.