Gerry Dulac: Steelers want a streamlined QB style, so who fits the bill?

Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jan 28, 2025

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — The Steelers will be seeking to do more than decide who will be their quarterback next season. They apparently are trying to homogenize the position, as well.

Team president Art Rooney II said he would like the Steelers to have quarterbacks who play the same style, indicating it was difficult for offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to run his system with the different styles of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Wilson is 36 and, while still mobile, is more of a pocket passer who likes to attack downfield.

Fields is 25 and may be the fastest player on the team. He likes to use his legs to create plays.

"I think that it is hard to manage a quarterback room with quarterbacks with such different styles," Rooney said. "I think, going into next year, I'd like to see us go in with a quarterback room that, whatever it is, you have two quarterbacks who can run the same system."

That would appear to be a strange approach when you consider that this year's Super Bowl quarterbacks — Patrick Mahomes (Carson Wentz) and Jalen Hurts (Kenny Pickett) — have little in common with the style of their backups. However, the division rival Baltimore Ravens have always had a backup style similar to Lamar Jackson, whether it was Tyler Huntley or Josh Johnson.

For years, the Steelers have always had Ben Roethlisberger's backup be somewhat similar in stature and style, including Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich and Mason Rudolph.

"I look at that as something we can build on, and that Arthur can build on, in the second year," Rooney said.

Wilson and Fields become unrestricted free agents in a couple of weeks, and Rooney said he prefers to sign just one of them.

Which one, though, is the question.

There are those in the organization who prefer Wilson, a former Super Bowl champion, because of his veteran presence, leadership and deep-passing ability. They point to a lack of quality receivers, injuries and inexperience on the offensive line as reasons for his late-season struggles.

Others prefer Fields because of his age, athleticism and ability to escape the pocket, saying the progress he showed from his days in Chicago can only be developed even more. Fields was 4-2 in the six games he started to begin the season.

"I think they're both capable quarterbacks," Rooney said. "And my preference would be to sign one of them. I think my preference would be to have something more than a one-year deal in place the next time around, but we'll see what happens."

So, if Rooney wants to have a quarterback room with players who share the same style, how does that change which player they pursue as the top backup in free agency?

If Wilson is re-signed, will they bring in former Tampa Bay and Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston as the backup, or Jacoby Brissett — both quarterbacks who are pocket passers?

If Fields is re-signed, is Marcus Mariota a target? Or Trey Lance?

"Obviously, we'll be looking in the draft, as well," Rooney said. "We've got a whole quarterback room to fill. There are jobs open there. So I wouldn't be surprised if we looked in the draft, as well, either this year or next. And so that's going to be a priority."

But did the different styles of Wilson and Fields really limit Smith's offensive system?

That didn't seem to be the case when Wilson replaced Fields as the starter after a 4-2 start and promptly won six of the next seven games to give the Steelers a two-game lead in the division at 10-3.

And it wasn't as though Wilson was injured in the final five games and Fields had to come in and struggled as his replacement.

If anything, the Steelers' five-game losing streak to end the season — their first in 55 years — was done with the same players, the same quarterback, in the same system.

Which is precisely why something has to change.

And it will start at quarterback.

"I keep saying this: we've got to address the quarterback position," Rooney said. "And you look around and kind of see the teams that are at that next level, that's where they are, and they're there for that reason."

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