The Pittsburgh Steelers lost 27-13 against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, snapping Mike Tomlin’s team’s two-game winning streak and suffering their third road loss of the season.
Pittsburgh will seek to rebound in Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Though the Steelers fell short on Sunday, they are still having a tremendous 2024 season, with a 10-4 record through 14 games and wins in seven of their past nine. Quarterback Russell Wilson has been Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback since Week 7 and has been one of the most effective signal-callers in sports, but Justin Fields’ performance to open the season should not be overlooked.
Fields started the first six games of the season while Wilson recovered from a calf injury, and the 2021 first-round pick thrived in Arthur Smith’s offense. During the first six weeks, the 25-year-old scored ten touchdowns and committed only two turnovers, finishing with a record of 4-2. Though Fields lost his starting job after Wilson returned from injury in Week 7, the rookie quarterback has shown a lot of promise for 2024.
Fields is set to enter unrestricted free agency this offseason, and if the Steelers decide to let the former Ohio State star go, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine expects Fields would sign with the Indianapolis Colts to back up Anthony Richardson.
The Colts would be foolish to give up on Anthony Richardson any time soon. He’s still going to have his downturns and regressions, but he was always projected to be something of a long-term project. However, the Colts need to bring in a backup that has a similar skill set so the offense doesn’t have to change if he gets injured.
Justin Fields would be the perfect target. Fields might be settling into the career backup role after excelling at the job in Pittsburgh. He’s athletic enough to run all of the quarterback run game that the Colts feature with Richardson and a good enough passer to get by.
Signing Fields would be a wise decision by the Colts, as the former Chicago Bear would provide ample depth at quarterback and give Richardson some competition. For Fields, joining Shane Steichen’s team would allow him to work with a promising offensive-minded head coach.
Furthermore, there is a significant likelihood that the 2021 No.11 pick will eventually take the starting job, as Richardson is clearly not a quality NFL quarterback and Fields is a far more feasible alternative at the sport’s most important position.
If the Steelers choose to re-sign Wilson, who is also a free agent in 2025, over Fields, the Colts could be an interesting destination for the former Buckeye.
