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Justin Fields Might Be Steelers QB1

It's time for the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback competition to become a real battle.

Noah Strackbein

Aug 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) looks to pass against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) looks to pass against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers likely didn't change their mind about their "pole position" quarterback after a preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, but maybe they should start thinking about it a little bit more.

In Russell Wilson's Steelers debut, the better quarterback was Justin Fields. The backup took over during the second quarter and, while facing backups (which is important to mention), looked like an exciting, capable playmaker who could be the right answer for an offense that's struggling.

Right now, Pittsburgh's offense is a weak link. The offensive line has not played well this preseason. The running game is non-existent, and may have lose Jaylen Warren. And the wide receivers, well, if you haven't been paying attention to the headlines, Google Brandon Aiyuk and you'll learn where that group stands.

Were there hopeful expectations? Yes. But so far, that hasn't come to fruition, and the Steelers' best option may be to have a quarterback under center who can make the most out of little - and that's Justin Fields.

With Wilson on the field, the Steelers offense finished with two first downs and 49 yards. It was five drives that resulted in three sacks. It finished with wide receiver George Pickens trying have a very expressive conversation on the sideline with his fellow wide receivers.

Fields finished the night with 92 yards through the air and 42 on the ground. It was no where near perfect, and the offense failed to get anything into the endzone, but there were moments that you saw potential. The Steelers need potential.

"I thought he did a nice job utilizing his legs, whether it was impromptu or otherwise, to keep some situations alive," head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game.

Now, you also have to account for Wilson missing time. During which, Fields had plenty of opportunity to showcase his skills while we all waited for Wilson to return from a calf injury. Unfortunately, that's part of the NFL, and if Fields didn't deserve for us to be talking about his development, we wouldn't be talking about it.

Coming off of Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph, the Steelers did everything in their power to better their quarterback situation. They've done that, and both Wilson and Fields are upgrades over what they were working with the last two seasons.

Wilson might be the quarterback for the Steelers, but there's no reason to keep the "pole position" tag on him moving forward. With one preseason game left, this team needs an open and honest competition. Let the better quarterback win. Right now, that's Fields.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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