The Pittsburgh Steelers are amid an exciting period as they gear up for the 2024 NFL season. Pittsburgh is coming off a first-round playoff exit but added pieces in the offseason to take their offense up a notch. Two major additions include former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and ex-Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick gave a bold prediction on which Steelers QB will win the starting position.
“I have a feeling, based on my conversations, that if Justin can continue to ascend like he’s looking in practice, he’s going to start Week 1. He’s going to be the opening-day starter. I thought he’d be the starter at some point anyway,” Riddick told Dan Patrick on the Dan Patrick Show.
Patrick said starting the veteran Wilson might be a better move for the Steelers, as it would be “easier” to go back to him if Fields did not perform when given his opportunity off the bench. However, Riddick believes that Wilson's prior experience does not necessarily guarantee success in Pittsburgh.
“You know what, in a normal situation, I totally agree with you. In a situation where this was a guy who has a lot of equity built up in an organization and you know what you he has a history. He's won some games. In this case, look, yeah there's one guy who has a bigger resume, who won a Super Bowl, who came close to winning another one, but he didn't do that for you,” Riddick added.
Who will the Steelers choose as QB1?
As Riddick mentioned, Russell Wilson is a Super Bowl champion and multi-time Pro Bowler. However, his stint with the Broncos did not go as expected. Wilson failed to lead Denver to the playoffs during his two-year tenure.
The 35-year-old comes from a season where he threw for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns, guiding the Broncos to an 8-9 record.
On the other hand, Justin Fields had a challenging time with the Bears as well. Fields joined Chicago in 2021 as the team's 11th overall pick. He showed steady improvement during his three years with the team, but the Bears could not earn a postseason berth.
Fields threw for a career-high 2,562 yards and 16 TDs in 2023. One positive from his season was he helped Chicago go from winless to a late-season run that saw them finish 7-10.
It will be interesting to see how the Steelers handle their tough QB situation as the 2024 season prepares to start.
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