Insider: Steelers Could Make Another QB Change

The Pittsburgh Steelers may switch things up at quarterback once again.

Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off of a rough Week 12 loss against an AFC North rival in the Cleveland Browns, which has one insider thinking that they may look to switch quarterbacks once again.

CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala hopped on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show on Tuesday and stated that she believes Justin Fields could reclaim the starting job for Pittsburgh given some of the struggles the offense has endured under Russell Wilson.

"I think it's totally within the realm of possibility that Justin Fields goes back to being the Steelers' starter," Kinkhabwala said. "This Steelers offense has a lot of warts that have been kind of covered up the last few weeks because of Chris Boswell, their kicker, who is as money as they come. And because of this defense. But they have been absolutely horrific in the red zone. Russell Wilson is once again taking terrible, terrible, terrible sacks."

Fields began the regular season as the Steelers' No. 1 quarterback after Russell Wilson reaggravated a calf injury that first emerged during training camp, which held him out for the first six weeks of the year.

During that time, Fields led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record while throwing for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and interceptions in addition to posting 231 yards and five scores as a runner.

Since Wilson's return in Week 7, however, the Steelers are 4-1, and the 35-year-old has elevated the team's passing offense. He has passed for 1,212 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions while finding ways to push the ball down the field and create more explosive plays.

All things considered, though, there are some concerning trends that have come to light over the past few weeks in particular. As Kinkhabwala noted, Pittsburgh has encountered difficulties in the red zone, primarily evidenced by the fact that it didn't cross the goal line in four red zone tries versus the Baltimore Ravens. While the Steelers went on to win that game, their 44.74% touchdown rate in that area of the field this season is the third-worst in the league.

Wilson has also taken eight sacks over the past two contests, which isn't exactly a recipe for success. That doesn't all fall on him, but it's an eye-opening statistic that sheds some light on a bit of a rough patch.

Fields has only attempted a single pass since being usurped by Wilson, though Pittsburgh's intent and decision to involve him within the game plan in certain situations and packages has been well-documented.

It's hard to see a scenario in which Fields does pass Wilson as the Steelers' starter based solely on performance, but Kinkhabwala believes the team may feel comfortable putting more on his plate now as compared to earlier in the campaign.

"Justin Fields was being played within certain parameters," Kinkhabwala said. "He was being constrained. He followed what was asked of him. Never did anything more. But that team felt he was getting better every week. They were able to put more and more on his table every week."

It remains to be seen if Pittsburgh will ultimately make that change, but it does bear watching if the offense stumbles moving forward with Wilson at the helm.

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