New Steelers QB Justin Fields Will Be The Week 1 Starter Unless He Has A 'Catastrophic Preseason'

The Pittsburgh Steelers have opened the door to another quarterback controversy with the additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The team underwent a complete retool of their quarterback room to welcome a former Super Bowl champion, and the 11th overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson brings a legacy as a winner that is expected to give him an advantage over Fields as the starting quarterback. However, some analysts are curious about the length of leash he will be granted. NFL insider Jason La Canfora doesn't even think Wilson will get to start Week 1. 

La Canfora joined Fox Radio's The Jason Smith Show on Tuesday to weigh in on the Steelers quarterback situation. He acknowledged that he is very high on Fields' upside and expects him to get the starting job over Wilson sooner rather than later. 

"I think he's starting," he said of Fields. "I think he'd have to have a catastrophic preseason for it not to happen." 

Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac wrote there will be no competition between Fields and Wilson in camp for the starting job. The team has handed that job to Wilson. He also notes that it is not the Steelers' intention to bring in Fields as a backup for one season. 

It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out. Some have suggested that the team find packages for Fields to play in 2024.  

Steeler Nation hopefully learned their lesson from watching Kenny Pickett have a pristine preseason, only for the results in the regular season to be less than spectacular. From Dulac's reporting and that experience last year, even if Fields has a fantastic preseason, it would be a shock for the 25-year-old to claim the starting job. 

Pittsburgh will need to get some inclinations of whether Fields can be their long-term option. He will likely get some playing time. Wilson has been pretty durable his whole career. He missed three games in the 2021 season with an injured finger. He missed two games with injuries in the 2022 season. 

Mike Tomlin has shown in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era that he is not afraid to take out a quarterback if he feels like he's not getting enough quality play. He did it in 2022 at halftime of the team's Week 4 matchup with the New York Jets when Pickett relived Mitch Trubisky. 

In the 2023 season, after watching Trubisky struggle against the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, the 2nd overall pick from the 2017 draft got hooked in favor of Mason Rudolph late in the next game against the Indianapolis Colts. Rudolph was awarded the starting job for the rest of the season. 

La Canfora certainly isn't alone in predicting that Fields will usurp Wilson, but predicting him to be the Week 1 starter is certainly bold. It wouldn't be unprecedented for the Steelers to change the course they have set out, but if they do it, it needs to be done correctly. 

If Fields is given all backup reps in OTAs and training camp, it would make no sense for him to be the Week 1 starter. Pittsburgh already experienced throwing Pickett into the fire without offseason starting reps and it eventually had them searching for his replacement. 

Steelers Are Becoming A "New Age Franchise"

La Canfora heaped praise on the Steelers for how they played things patiently in the Fields sweepstakes and ended up getting him for such a small return. Back as far as February, insiders like Adam Schefter were reporting the team's interest in the former Ohio State Buckeye. 

La Canfora said getting a potential diamond like Fields for the price of a lump of coal displays just how much the Steelers organization has changed. 

"It shows that they have become a progressive, new-age franchise under their General Manager Omar Khan," he said. "They’re utilizing means of player acquisition and being progressive in turning the roster in a way that I think runs counter to what the Rooneys have done for a long time."

Only time will tell if the Steelers' best-laid plans will come to roast in the 2024 season. For now, they're getting high marks for trying things differently and giving fans plenty to watch for when the team gets back to the facility to start preparations for the 2024 season. 

Do you agree with La Canfora that Fields will start Week 1?