The Pittsburgh Steelers may have hit the jackpot during this free agency regarding the quarterback position. Just a week ago, the Steelers were looking at having no quarterback on their roster and not a great draft pick to pick up a new one, as well as no cap space to sign a veteran.
Fast forward to Saturday, and the Steelers have two quarterbacks who could turn the team in the right direction. On Monday, the team announced that Russell Wilson would join the team in a deal where the Steelers only have to cover the veteran minimum of $1.2 million. Today it was announced that the Chicago Bears starting Justin Fields would join the team. Justin Fields will be owed $1.6 million. Having two quarterbacks with lots of starting experience for only $2.8 million is unheard of.
A 2021 Dream Come True
The crazy thing about the NFL is that it’s impossible to predict how a player’s career will go. In 2021, Justin Fields was one of the hottest players going into the NFL Draft, while many regarded Russell Wilson as a Top 5 quarterback in the league.
Fast forward three years, and both players found themselves in awkward spots with their teams wanting to trade them. Neither quarterback played particularly terribly, but both struggled the past few years and haven’t gotten their teams where their fanbase and ownership expect.
That being said, both players have shown flashes of being the version of who everyone thought they were back in 2021. If either player can find the confidence and spark to play at that high level, they could be a real homerun addition to a team already loaded with a great defense and veteran leadership.
Time For Pittsburgh Steelers to Build Around Fields and Wilson
The Steelers are known for paying their defensive players a lot of money, and 2024 is no exception. Of the ten highest-paid players on the team, seven are on the defensive side of the ball, with T.J. Watt being the highest-paid player at $30.4 million. Currently, the team doesn’t have much cap space to play with; however, with the deal they got for their quarterbacks, they need to find a way.
The reality is, this isn’t 2021, and neither of these quarterbacks is likely to elevate the team by themselves. However, if given the right offensive weapons, both can be game managers and help elevate the team to the Playoffs.
Whether it means finding other trades, downgrading the defense to some extent, or going after some young players, the Steelers need to find a way to acquire some offensive weapons besides Najee Harris, who is only the 14th highest-paid player on the team. That is a problem. There should be 3-4 guys in the top 15 highest paid players who are receivers, tight ends, or running backs. Only one in the top 15 shows a lack of commitment to the offense. The Steelers could have the best defense in the league, but if there aren’t offensive weapons to help Wilson and Fields succeed, it could be a long season in the Steel City.
The Steelers don’t have the issue that so many other teams have in having to pay a QB 55 million dollars next year. For teams like the Bengals, it is tough to afford proven talent around Joe Burrow because the team is using so much of their money paying him and linemen to protect him. The Steelers are paying more than $52 million less for two quarterbacks. Not all the money needs to go to receivers or running backs, but if the Steelers can find a way to spend another $30 million on skill position players, they could be a real contender next season.