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It’s not entirely clear who will be the starting quarterback for the Steelers next season, but it definitely seems like Russell Wilson is the overwhelming favorite based on what one member of the team said about a proposal to have Justin Fields return kickoffs.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were hoping Kenny Pickett had what it took to fill the void that formed when Ben Roethlisberger retired following the conclusion of his 18th season with the franchise in 2021. However, that did not end up being the case.
Pickett replaced Mitch Trubisky as the starter a month into his rookie campaign and ultimately finished with a 7-5 record during a season where the team went 9-8. He did help them punch their ticket to the playoffs last year, but was repeatedly sidelined by the injuries that ultimately led to Mason Rudolph getting the nod for their only playoff game.
In March, the Steelers decided to pivot by trading for Russell Wilson (a move that Pickett was reportedly less than thrilled to hear about). A couple of weeks later, the QB was shipped off to the Eagles on the same day Pittsburgh acquired Justin Fields from the Bears, who had also decided to enter a new era that began when they drafted Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has been clear about his plans to name Wilson as the team’s starter heading into the season but noted he plans to give Fields “an opportunity to compete.” While it’s safe to assume he’ll be riding the bench for the bulk of the season if that ends up being the case, it sounds like he could see some action by being deployed in a fairly unexpected role.
Steelers RB Jaylen Warren was recently a guest on a live episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, and during the conversation, he was asked if he had any interest in receiving kickoffs now that the NFL has revamped its approach to that particular play.
He said he’d be open to the possibility while dropping a very interesting piece of inside information, saying, “Our special teams coordinator was talking about Justin Fields being back there. We were like, ‘Hold up! Hold up!'”
Fields ran a 4.45 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine in 2021, and his ability to scramble is one of his more valuable assets. Part of the reason the NFL has reworked its approach to the kickoff is to cut down on injuries, but using Fields as a test case seems like a bit of an unnecessary risk for the Steelers.