Since Starting 3-0, the Steelers have cooled to a meager 3-2, losing two games they could have easily won. Justin Fields' inefficiencies are taking form. It may not have been as obvious in the first three weeks of the NFL, but as the Steelers play better teams, it's glaringly obvious they will need Russell Wilson sooner or later.
Mistake-free football will not be sufficient to save Fields or carry the Steelers into the postseason. While Fields has met the Steelers' expectations as the team's number two quarterback, it's clear that significant improvements are needed if the Steelers are considering Fields as their long-term quarterback in 2025. The 2024 offseason will be crucial for the team's success.
If the Steelers plan to continue with Arthur Smith as the offensive coordinator and Justin Fields as the quarterback, several things will need to happen.
Najee Harris has got to go
While Najee Harris has his supporters, and many fans would like to see him stay, he is not the running back the Steelers need to make Arthur Smith's rush-heavy offense work.
Given that Harris is playing for a new contract, what has he really shown that would entice the Steelers to sign him to a long-term deal? The answer is obvious: nothing. He has never gotten the ground game going as many of us thought he might under Arthur Smith.
His performance ultimately makes Steelers fans long for the days when we had a Bus in the backfield that plowed through defenders, wearing them down for 4th-quarter heroics. While strong as an ox, Najee Harris rarely hits the gap or has the cutback speed to make a running back deadly.
The Steelers' best option might be to trade Harris, but the downside is that it's unlikely they will get anyone better to replace Harris. This means they will need to sign a free agent in 2025, make Jaylen Warren their starter, or opt for one in the 2025 draft. The running back move will be imperative if the Steelers want to have success with Fields and Arthur Smith in 2025.
The Steelers need greater depth at wide receiver
When he is open, the Steelers have a great wide receiver, George Pickens. However, the rest of the Steeler-wide receivers do not seem to do enough to open up the passing game for Fields to be successful when they need to put enough points on the board to keep the contest from morphing into a last-minute barn burner.
Perhaps when Roman Wilson returns, he will transform the Steelers' passing game. However, it may be too much to expect from Wilson, although no one expected Ben Roethlisberger to win his first 15 games either. The point is that although Wilson's return helps, it may not give the Steelers all they need to allow Fields to win the game with his arm when needed, as happened against Dallas last Sunday.
The lack of success in the passing game then begs the question: Should the Steelers pull the trigger and trade for Devante Adams? Having Adams would transform the passing game greatly and certainly allow more success for George Pickens. Having Adams would help Justin Fields tremendously if he is the Steelers starter in 2025 and could give Russell Wilson short-term success in 2024 if he ever makes his debut.
The point is that despite Justin Fields's successes thus far in 2024, Fields is not the answer to helping the Steelers go deep into the 2024 postseason. We have learned that Fields has the capability, but the Steelers will need to put pieces around him to make Fields a success in the future.
However, the Steelers cannot make the necessary changes ahead of 2025. Thus, the solution for the remainder of the season would be to let Russell Wilson take the reigns, use his experience and talent to make game-winning drives, and help make a playoff run in 2024. Then, make the off-season moves to put the needed pieces around Fields for 2025.