32 NFL Teams in 32 Days: Steelers Betting Big on Upgrades at QB

Pittsburgh has struggled to find offensive consistency for years, but the additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields could provide a rugged defense with enough help to compete in a loaded AFC North.

Tomlin, who recently signed an extension, has never had a losing season as coach of the Steelers / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers quickly learned last season that it wasn’t wise to hand Kenny Pickett the starting job without competition in training camp. 

Maybe the team learned its lesson because it traded for Justin Fields not long after signing Russell Wilson, who was released by the Denver Broncos. They’ll have the opportunity to reignite their respective careers with a talented supporting cast in Pittsburgh. 

But it’s unknown whether the team views Fields as a true competitor to Wilson or he’s penciled in as the backup, because they traded Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles after he reportedly complained about the Wilson signing. 

Regardless of the situation, the Steelers improved their quarterback options, and that could be enough for them to return to the postseason and assist their dominant defense, which features T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The defense also got stronger with the signing of linebacker Patrick Queen. 

The Steelers have an attractive roster, but they’re going to need a quarterback to step up to compete in the tough AFC North. 

Biggest gamble this offseason: Adding Wilson, Fields to compete 

The Steelers made the right decision to move on from Pickett, who failed to get the offense going during two rocky seasons. And the team deserves credit for upgrading the QB room with Wilson, who only cost them $1.21 million for one season because the Broncos were on the hook for $39 million in 2024. The Steelers followed by trading for Fields to potentially push Wilson after back-to-back mediocre seasons in Denver. For that insurance, the Steelers only needed to send the Chicago Bears a conditional ’25 sixth-round pick. 

Overall, the Steelers executed one of the best offseason plans in recent memory for adding quality quarterbacks without using a first-round pick. It might be a temporary fix, but there’s some upside with Fields, who showed flashes of being a franchise quarterback with the Bears. The Steelers, however, appear to have favored Wilson’s experience and ability to run an efficient offense, and that’s understandable after the roller coaster experience with Pickett. 

But the Steelers might regret playing it safe with Wilson instead of looking to untap Fields’s potential. Training camp will determine whether this is a true QB competition or it's Wilson’s job to lose.  

Toughest stretch of the season: Weeks 11 to 18

This category should be called toughest half of the season because no other team might have a more difficult final eight weeks. That’s the downside of playing in the AFC North, with the league preferring to have divisional opponents face each other down the stretch. But the NFL did them no favors by having all of their AFC North games condensed into the final eight weeks, playing the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals twice each in that span. They also have to play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in Week 15 and host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17—the latter of which will be Pittsburgh’s third game in 11 days. These eight games might determine whether coach Mike Tomlin will extend his 17-year streak of not having a losing season.

Breakout player to watch: DT Keeanu Benton 

Benton could soon take the torch from Heyward as the Steelers’ best interior defensive lineman after the impressive flashes as a rookie. The 2023 second-round pick made the most of his limited opportunities playing behind Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi, recording 36 total tackles, one sack and eight QB hits. According to Pro Football Focus, Benton had 24 pressures, despite playing only 516 snaps. If he becomes a full-time starter, Benton might drastically improve his numbers playing on a defensive line that also features edge rushers Watt and Highsmith. 

Best-case scenario: Wilson revives his playing career with Steelers

Wilson arrives in Pittsburgh for his 13th season in hopes of recapturing some of the magic from his days with the Seahawks. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson took the bulk of the blame, perhaps unfairly, for the disastrous two-year stint with the Broncos. But he did improve his play last season, guiding the Broncos on a five-game winning streak before Sean Payton pulled the plug on the QB experience. Perhaps the Steelers build off that and allow Wilson to do more to potentially have him play as well as he did with the Seattle Seahawks.  

The Steelers have a star wideout in George Pickens, a reliable tight end in Pat Freiermuth, two productive running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren and a rising offensive line with young tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. Pittsburgh has the supporting case to revive Wilson’s career, perhaps similar to what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with Baker Mayfield last season. And maybe the Steelers find a way to get Fields involved, similar to how the New Orleans Saints utilize Taysom Hill. 

Worst-case scenario: Wilson, Fields struggle with difficult schedule 

Perhaps Payton and the Broncos were right to release Wilson and eat the dead money from his hefty contract extension because his best days are behind him. If that’s the case, the Steelers do have Fields to replace Wilson, but he also arrives in Pittsburgh with uncertainties. Fields’s accuracy issues and lack of consistency as a passer led the Bears to trade him to make room for Caleb Williams. It could be a long season for the Steelers if both quarterbacks struggle and fail to improve on their weaknesses. 

Head coach-quarterback tandem ranking

No. 11: Tomlin (2) and Wilson (22)

Pittsburgh has an elite coach in Tomlin, who hasn’t had a losing season in 17 campaigns. And this year, he gets an upgrade at quarterback in Wilson, who is clearly better than Pickett. Surrounded by a significantly better roster, can Wilson regain his Seattle-level of production? —Matt Verderame

Fantasy pick: Warren

You might not know it, but Warren scored more PPR points than Harris last season … and he did it on fewer snaps and touches. Still, Warren is going a few rounds behind Harris based on average draft position data. That makes him the Steelers running back to target in PPR formats. What’s more, no quarterback with at least 10 starts targeted backs more than Wilson last season, and Fields also likes using his backs as receivers.

Best bet:  Pickens over 1000.5 receiving yards 

Wilson tossed 26 touchdowns, had the same passing completion percentage as Josh Allen, and had the seventh-best passer rating among quarterbacks with 15 or more starts in 2023. That’s a definite upgrade for Pickens, who has flashed talent even with subpar quarterback play. As the primary target in Pittsburgh, Pickens should get volume and show off his deep threat ability. Pickens logged 1,140 receiving yards in 2023. —Jen Piacenti

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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