Who is the Steelers' backup quarterback during the 2024 NFL season?

The role of a backup quarterback is critical in the NFL. On a moment's notice, a reserve QB needs to be ready to buckle his chin strap and take the field to man the most important position in football. We witnessed this just last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 2023, the Steelers were forced to call upon Mitch Trubisky when Kenny Pickett went down with an ankle injury. Unfortunately, Trubisky wasn't up to the task, and the team turned to Mason Rudolph, who helped lead Pittsburgh into the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

All of us hope to see better results from the Steelers quarterback position in 2024 -- whether it's the starter or backup who's on the field. So who is Pittsburgh's backup quarterback this year?

Steelers' backup QB situation is... complicated

Following the 2024 preseason, we thought we had our answer. Russell Wilson was poised to be the Steelers' starting quarterback to begin the season with the 25-year-old Justin Fields serving as his backup.

But when injuries strike, plans change.

As Wilson dealt with 'calf tightness', Fields was announced as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback to begin the season. Wilson will serve as an emergency third quarterback until he's deemed healthy enough to play. This means that, early in the season, reserve QB Kyle Allen is technically the team's backup quarterback to starter Justin Fields.

Pittsburgh's backup QB situation may flip-flop

Depending on how the offense performs early, Justin Fields could remain the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers -- potentially throughout the 2024 season. If this proves to be the case, Russell Wilson will be the primary backup quarterback when he returns to full health.

However, if Pittsburgh's offense begins to struggle or shows little improvement, Tomlin could look to Wilson for help. A change would have Wilson starting with Fields backing him up in the QB2 role.

Until Mike Tomlin declares who will be the Steelers' starting quarterback moving forward, Pittsburgh is open to reverting back to Wilson.