The Pittsburgh Steelers took a huge risk this offseason by completely gutting out their skill-position players from top to bottom. Quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are both set to start for other teams, running back Najee Harris as well and wide receiver George Pickens now gets to line up with an elite running mate at receiver.
Ultimately, how these four players perform in relation to their replacements will go a long way in terms of public perception of the job head coach Mike Tomlin has done. Let’s break out the positions these four find themselves in.
Quarterback Justin Fields
Fields got a raw deal in Pittsburgh. After going 4-2 as a starter in 2024, Tomlin chose to bench Fields in favor of Wilson, which ended any opportunity to re-sign Fields. Now Fields is the new starting quarterback of the New York Jets and has some excellent weapons around him and a coaching staff willing to tailor things around his skills.
Quarterback Russell Wilson
No one expected Wilson to come in and win a Super Bowl. But after missing the first six games with a calf injury, Wilson returned last season and started off hot. But after going 6-1 in his first seven starts, the wheels fell off and the team crumbled down the stretch. Now, Wilson is set to start but compete with rookie Jaxson Dart to run what is set up to be an explosive Giants passing game.
Running back Najee Harris
When Harris signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, we immediately felt like this was the best thing that could happen to him. We love Harris as a player and never felt like he was the best fit in Pittsburgh and didn’t have the offensive line to help him be successful. Now, even with rookie Omarion Hampton with the Chargers, Harris is in a great spot to be a much more effecient runner, even if he isn’t the full-time starter.
Wide receiver George Pickens
We hated to see the Steelers trade Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Even with all his issues, we felt like having DK Metcalf on the team as well as Aaron Rodgers to be the offensive leader would have been great for him. Now, he goes to a near-identical situation with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to push his game to the next level.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Justin Fields, George Pickens, Russell Wilson and George Pickens former Steelers poised for big seasons
