The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback controversy isn’t likely to end anytime soon, despite all kinds of big names being tossed around including Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, and most of all, Justin Fields. The team currently has only one quarterback on the roster and that is Kenny Pickett, who will be entering his third year with the team. The Steelers’ longtime backup Mason Rudolph is not under contract, and while the team has hinted they would like to keep him, Rudolph has expressed that he might like to explore free agency.
Fields just finished his third season with the Chicago Bears after being drafted by them 11th overall in 2021. The Bears have the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft thanks to a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Most analysts feel they will take USC quarterback, Caleb Williams. That might sound crazy to an outsider because they just drafted a highly touted quarterback who is still on a rookie contract in Fields. Why take another one?
Some say Fields has not been set up for success by the organization for starters. He has had a new offensive coordinator each season he’s been with the Bears. He hasn’t had the offensive schemes in place that take advantage of his strengths while allowing him to develop. For these reasons, some think the Bears will be better off starting over again and Fields would be better off with a new home. However, Steelers beat reporter, Gerry Dulac, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, has been clear that he doesn’t see Fields coming to Pittsburgh. He recently joined Rich Eisen and doubled down on his assertions.
Steelers Will Stand By Their Man Kenny Pickett Says Dulac
Recently, in his popular chat column, Dulac said he couldn’t imagine Fields going to a team where he isn’t the starting quarterback when he walks in the door. Fields was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and entering the draft, he was considered a close second to Trevor Lawrence in talent. He said the Steelers are not currently in the market for a starting quarterback, because they already have one in Pickett.
When Dulac joined The Rich Eisen Show, he was asked about his quarterback comments. Eisen said that he understands the Steelers have their own way of doing things, but with the lack of success at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger retired, why wouldn’t they consider it? Dulac said it’s because they are committed to Pickett. He did go on to add that it is true that the team loved Fields when he was coming out of college and that anything is possible, just not likely.
“Nothing is going to surprise me and I say that because when Justin Fields was coming out, if Justin Fields were on the board when the Steelers picked, which of course he wasn’t, and probably wasn’t going to be, they would take Justin Fields. I was told this by a coach, over any other player. The point is that’s how much they really like Justin Fields.”
Dulac added that he mentioned other players who were drafted high in 2021 and the coach reiterated that Fields would have been their top choice. Of course, nothing was ever mentioned about the team trying to move up and nab him before the Bears got him. He went on to say he wouldn’t be totally shocked if he became a Steeler for that reason, but he would be surprised because Fields doesn’t want to have to compete.
“They are committed to one more year with Kenny Pickett. I can’t imagine Justin Fields wants to go to a situation where he is not the entrenched number-one quarterback, why would he want to do that? I don’t think he even wants to go somewhere where there would be a competition. Their commitment, for this third year, is Kenny Pickett. He is 14-10 as a starter. You go back to the end of his rookie year, the start of this season and he was 12-5. That’s not bad, that’s a playoff team right there. They are not ready to give up on Kenny Pickett.”
Eisen said the way he sees it, all the teams in the NFL are just “rent payers in Patrick Mahomes’ world.” All teams have to have someone under center that at least gives them a fighting chance against Mahomes. He thinks that Fields is the perfect quarterback to fit into new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith’s system.
Dulac agrees. If you look at all of the Super Bowls over the past two decades, they were all won by elite, future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, with few exceptions. He doesn’t think Pickett is that guy.
“Whatever it is the Steelers believed in Kenny Pickett two years ago is unchanged. I don’t see them taking that on. I know they want to bring back Mason Rudolph, and he is not averse to coming back. He is also not averse to maybe exploring free agency. But what they saw in Mason Rudolph was a guy who won games for them. Is he an elite quarterback? No, I don’t think so. But I don’t think they are ready to give up on Kenny Pickett. That’s why this is a big year for him, Rich.”
If Dulac is correct, the Steelers will roll into training camp with Pickett, possibly Rudolph, and maybe a late-round draft pick (and/or possibly some other backup-type player from free agency). Dulac has very little faith that it will be Fields that the Steelers pick up.
