When the Steelers were 10-3, it was easy to imagine that Wilson would be the top choice, but then the team lost their last five games. That shifted the focus to Fields; most insiders believe the younger, more athletic quarterback would make the most sense. After all, he did go 4-2 to start the season.

Longtime Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show spoke with his co-host Chris Mack on their show Kaboly and Mack about Rooney’s recent meeting with the media. He said Rooney made it clear that he sees quarterbacks as a priority and that they should aim to find ones with similar skill sets. Wilson and Fields were so different that Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith had to develop separate offensive schemes. Kaboly said that he thinks he has unveiled the Steelers’ master plan.

“I actually think I just figured this out,” explained Kaboly. “I know which direction they’re going. Who did they sign to their practice squad recently? The futures? And what kind of quarterback is Skylar Thompson? Mobile. He mentioned he would like to streamline that offense or the quarterback room. So if the only guy you have under contract fits this bill. That makes sense the rest of them fall in line, another reason to believe that they would prefer Fields.”

Kaboly feels the age difference factors in. Fields is substantially younger, turning 26 in March, while Wilson is 36. He said if they continue to use Wilson, they will just prolong the problem. If they keep Fields, they don’t have to rush or overreach for quarterback back in the draft.

Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers offense with Justin Fields leading the charge.

He added that luck and chemistry are involved in finding the right player. Mack told Kaboly the idea of having Fields back excites him. He said they might have a division-winning team if he just improves 10-15%. Kaboly said he worries fans are trying so hard to hang on to something positive that they are rewriting history with Fields.

“We sort of have revisionist history about those first six games,” said Kaboly. “Okay, he played well enough to win, but how many times, how fortunate did he get with turnovers? There were picks dropped; there had to be four or five fumbles that he owned. You can’t say he only turned the ball over twice in those first six games. I think he got extremely fortunate.”

The one thing Kaboly feels confident about is that the Steelers won’t draft a starting quarterback in 2025. Rooney said they would be looking for one in the draft this year or next, but Kaboly believes it is purely developmental if it is this year. That leaves them with really only Wilson or Fields from which to choose.

Steelers Already Made Substantial Offensive Changes

Frustrated fans hoped to see a coach get fired to solve some of the team’s issues. However, it doesn’t seem like that will be the case. Head Coach Mike Tomlin will return; Rooney was clear about that.

After the media meeting, Rooney spoke with Bob Pompeani and said he feels the team made substantial changes to the offense after the 2023 season. It is hard to argue since they fired Matt Canada before the 2023 season ended and hired Smith on top of retooling the entire quarterback room last offseason. They have invested heavily in the offensive line and now need to find some weapons for their quarterback. Kaboly said he sees the offensive line as the most stable part of this team. While they suffered significant injuries during 2024, they will come together in 2025.

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Steelers’ Arthur Smith talks with Justin Fields.

Do you think that fans are glossing over how Fields played in 2024? Tell us what you think below!