A Steelers-Panthers trade that throws wrench into Justin Fields' ascent

The Pittsburgh Steelers are once again preparing to start Justin Fields in Week 3 as Russell Wilson's injury recovery persists. It's hard not to view Fields as the de facto QB1 in Pittsburgh at this point. Mike Tomlin hasn't outright demoted Russ, but Fields is 2-0 with a golden opportunity to stretch it further in Sunday's showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Steelers' defense is so dominant that it may not matter too much who's under center, at least in the regular season.

That said, Fields has been far from perfect in his first couple starts with the Steel City crew. His athleticism remains practically unmatched at the QB position, but Fields' arm talent and general accuracy is an ongoing concern. He can stretch the defense with his legs and extend plays in unique ways, but when Fields is standing in the pocket, looking to deliver the football as every QB must, he still leaves much to be desired.

We know Russ also leaves much to be desired at this point in his career. The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback has a Super Bowl on his resumé, but there's a reason the Denver Broncos ate $85 million in dead money to get Russ in a Pittsburgh uniform.

He is far more limited than Fields, which is not exactly a high bar to cross.

Pittsburgh does not have either QB under contract beyond this season. The Steelers are presumably still in search of a proper long-term solution to their post-Ben Roethlisberger malaise at the position. It just so happens that a recent No. 1 pick is looking awfully tradable these days.

Steelers-Panthers trade to supplant Justin Fields, Russell Wilson with Bryce Young

Would the Steelers really uproot their QB room after such a productive start to the season? Maybe not, and it's even less clear what exactly the going price is for Bryce Young, whom the Carolina Panthers moved heaven and earth to draft No. 1 overall a couple summers ago. Even if he's bad — which is distinctly possible — it's a bit early for the Panthers to give up on Young, especially with how god-awful the supporting cast is around him.

That said, with Andy Dalton primed to step into the QB1 shoes in Carolina, the Panthers could be itching for a pivot. Young is a sunk cost if I've ever seen one, and the chance to replace him with another reasonably promising young quarterback while recouping a couple future picks may only come around once. The Panthers' window to decide on a Young trade is compressed. If he comes back and struggles again, the price will plummet expeditiously.

Pittsburgh can still justify the gamble on Young at this stage. He's under contract at a reasonable price for a couple years, for one, and it's hard to fully separate his myriad issues from the singularly untenable circumstances in Carolina. How would Young look behind a serviceable offensive line? With an actual No. 1 receiver? These are fair questions to ponder.

Now, the Steelers' O-line is presently decimated by injuries, and the WR room beyond George Pickens leaves much to be desired. Arthur Smith has plenty of play-calling pedigree, but he doesn't always run the more QB-friendly scheme. Pittsburgh would lean heavily on the run and try to dink-and-dunk its way to points. Again, defense has been the name of the game so far. The Steelers are 2-0 without breaking the 20-point barrier offensively in either game.

It's not the absolute perfect setup, but the Steelers are a verifiable winner, whereas Carolina is point-blank the worst-run franchise in football. Putting Young on a real team, with a real coach and a real culture, could work wonders. It's still worth seeing if the dude who was selected No. 1 overall after a highly successful career at Alabama has something in the tank.