Analyst believes Justin Fields will be Week 1 starter for Steelers

Jeff Darlington says he’d bet on Fields winning the job

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation has been a massive talking point of the offseason. Pittsburgh released Mitch Trubisky in February and signed Russell Wilson at the beginning of free agency before trading Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles. Mason Rudolph ended up signing with the Tennessee Titans, and Pittsburgh acquired Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round pick in 2025 that could become a fourth-round pick.

While Mike Tomlin made it clear that Russell Wilson is in “pole position” as he calls it entering the spring and training camp, ESPN NFL analyst and reporter Jeff Darlington says he thinks it will be Fields getting the nod Week 1.

“Right now, there is no way Justin Fields goes into training camp [and] does not compete with Russell Wilson,” Darlington said. “And quite honestly, if you’re putting odds on this, I’ve got Fields having better odds of winning the starter job, after what we’ve seen from Russell Wilson the past two years, than Russell Wilson.”

While the numbers in terms of passing favored Wilson last season, Fields would give the Steelers more in terms of being a dual-threat guy under center, and that style of play would fit Arthur Smith’s offense like a glove.