Steelers Have Easy Decision at QB
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have many decisions to make this offseason, all highlighted by the direction they go in at quarterback. Re-signing Russell Wilson has seemed like the plan throughout the season, but after a late-season collapse and another first round exit in the playoffs, things feels different.
Now, you're wondering if the Steelers are reconsidering. If they aren't, they should be.
According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Steelers would "love" to keep working with Justin Fields moving forward. However, they may not view him as a starter right now. Fields made it known earlier in the year that he would like to stay in Pittsburgh but is ready for whatever happens this offseason.
On the other side of that, Wilson is "planning" on being back with the Steelers.
“Yeah, that’s the plan," Wilson said during locker cleanout day. "I love it here and everything else. I think we have a great football team. Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, and I think there’s a lot more to do.”
If the Steelers are truly thinking about significant change, and trying to avoid the same mud they've been stuck in for years, they need to be different. Maybe Fields doesn't work out as a starter in the NFL, but maybe he continues to build off his 4-2 record and showcase more and more why he was the 11th pick in the NFL Draft.
Signing Wilson to a long-term deal, which is what he's looking for, means you're trying yourself to a 36-year-old who's been criticized heavily the last quarter of the season. And while the change of scenery for a veteran quarterback does work out sometimes, it almost always shows it's going to in year one. It's not something that develops over time.
Pittsburgh wants to become a contender again, which may require some risk. In the last eight years, that risk has come in terms of holding onto player they shouldn't have and not making adjustments to give others opportunity. Change would then simply mean they take chances in the other direction - pointing right to giving the 25-year-old an opportunity next season.
Even if the Steelers bring in competition, making Fields the "poll position" starter would bring a fresh, young option to the offense. Arthur Smith raved about the things Fields is capable of doing, and it's clear he has fans in the locker room and the front office.
Wilson's career isn't over, but at the end of the day, the decision is easy to make. If the Steelers let Wilson walk, they may lose out on one or two good years of his career left. Maybe, just maybe, he carries a team to the playoffs and pulls something off in that time.
If they let Fields walk, they're taking a risk that he finds a new team and becomes what he was building on in Pittsburgh. That five years from now, he's still competing for Super Bowls while the Steelers are trying to find their Wilson replacement.
There is no clear gap between the two at this point. The floor for Wilson has been found, and it's not high enough to think Fields' is any lower. So, if you're making the choise based on potential, there's no easier answer than No. 2.
The Steelers have an easy decision at quarterback. It's re-signing Justin Fields.