Ryan Clark Thinks Steelers Should Want Justin Fields to be Starting QB

Former Pittsburgh Steelers free safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark thinks general manager Omar Khan should be hoping for Justin Fields to overtake Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback because that means the Steelers would have their QB of the future. Wilson is 35 and on the back end of his career, while Fields is 25 and entering his fourth season.

“I want Justin Fields to win because that gives me an opportunity to have a quarterback of the future. Not a bridge guy. Not a guy on the back end of his career, but a young talented quarterback that needs the right pieces around him, who showed signs of being very good late last year,” Clark said on Get Up Wednesday.

Dan Orlovsky thinks the QB battle is going to come down to whoever fixes their fatal flaw, which is holding onto the ball too long and taking unnecessary sacks.

“Who’s going to take the less ridiculous sacks? In the last two seasons, Russell Wilson has taken 100 sacks. Justin Fields has taken 99. No other quarterback in the NFL has taken more than 80. So who could get that out of there game just a little bit? Justin, I would be more inclined because he’s younger,” Orlovsky said.

“And which one of these two guys gets rid of the negative plays? Negative plays are sacks, fumbles and interceptions. Here’s another one: Justin Fields in the last two seasons has 145 negative plays. Russell Wilson has 135. No other quarterback in the NFL has a buck 15 (115). So you’re intrigued, you’re encouraged, but which one of those guys gets rid of those fatal flaws of their game more constantly?”

Since the acquisition of Fields, many have formed the opinion that Wilson’s tenure as the starter will be short-lived.

Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Tuesday, Nick Wright of FS1 expressed that he’s not fond of Wilson. He thinks the 35-year-old quarterback is washed and that Fields will take over as the starter by Week 7 or Week 8.

“I know what Russell Wilson is right now. I think Russell Wilson is a quarterback who will be benched by the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Wright said.

During ESPN’s NFL Live on Tuesday, Adam Schefter took it a step further and revealed that an executive told him that Wilson could be released before Week 1 if things go haywire.

“Think about the investment they have in each player. They essentially are giving Russell Wilson $1.2 million, while the Denver Broncos are paying him almost $38 million this year. Very little investment,” Schefter said. “They gave up a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick for Justin Fields. Very little investment. They have the luxury of letting this play out during camp and doing whatever is best for that football team.

“There’s no commitment, obligation, loyalty to any of these guys. They didn’t pay much for either one of them. I even had one executive say if Justin Fields outplayed him, Russell Wilson, during training camp, they could see them moving on from him before the season.”