Steelers writer in denial over Justin Fields after wild quarterback declaration

The NY Jets decided to give Justin Fields a two-year contract to lure him away from the Pittsburgh Steelers with the thought that new head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand have the secret ingredient to turn his career around after a rocky road.

While the Steelers and Jets appear to be in line for a quarterback swap as Aaron Rodgers eyes a one-year sojourn with the black and gold, that deal is far from etched in stone. Pittsburgh's current quarterback room consists of old friend Mason Rudolph (recently brought back from the Tennessee Titans) and rookie draftee Will Howard.

Despite losing out on someone who is one of the best pure athletes in the league at the quarterback position, Steelers writer Mark Kaboly declared on a radio interview that Pittsburgh is actually better off with Rudolph under center.

“One has this untapped potential, possibly. You’re still enamored with Justin Fields, with what he might be able to turn into. I think we pretty much saw Mason’s ceiling, which is not bad if you just take those last three games of 2023. I think the potential of turning into something got Justin Fields paid.”

Steelers writer oddly declares Mason Rudolph better than Justin Fields

Rudolph has thrown for 4,600 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions since he was drafted in 2018. As his time with the Titans showed, Rudolph's painful lack of mobility makes him an inferior option when compared to a recently replaced Will Levis under center.

The three amazing games that Kaboly refers to as evidence that Rudolph is superior to Fields came at the end of 2023. Rudolph didn't attempt 30 passes in any of these three wins, he only threw multiple touchdown passes in one of those games, and one of them was against a Ravens team that was resting starters.

Fields has the superior arm, collection of athletic skills, and interception avoidance ability when compared directly to Rudolph. Even though Kaboly is correct in that a rosy projection of Fields' future could cloud any judgment of him in the immediate future, Rudolph is far from a paragon of consistency.

If the Steelers got rid of Fields and Russell Wilson almost exclusively based on a three-game sample size, then Pittsburgh has much bigger problems than whoever is under center. Add Kaboly to the list of doubters who think Fields won't be able to get on track in New York.