Failed NFL coach has another bad idea to help Steelers and Justin Fields
By Lior Lampert
Usually, if a football team deploys more than one quarterback in a game or season, it is due to injury or somebody getting benched.
We witnessed it in 2023 when multiple NFL franchises were playing hot potato at the most critical position in the sport. They were throwing everything at the wall to see if anything stuck out of desperation and sometimes even necessity.
But what if you have two veteran signal-callers on the same roster who have been starters elsewhere, like the Pittsburgh Steelers? Is there a world where the duo could co-exist and share playing time? Or would that be a disaster waiting to happen?
The Steelers completely revamped their quarterback room this offseason, returning none of the three gunslingers to line up under center for them last year. Now, Pittsburgh has the tandem of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Alas, only one of them could sit atop the depth chart.
Rather than competing against one another, former New York Jets and Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini suggests they should work in unison. During a recent appearance on FS1's The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the failed sideline general ludicrously proposed Wilson and Fields divvy up the workload.
Eric Mangini has another bad idea to help the Steelers and Justin Fields
Mangini noted that Wilson and Fields both have their flaws. But he also cited how having two cost-friendly quarterbacks with pedigree and "unique skill sets" can jointly benefit the Steelers:
"Both of these guys [Wilson and Fields] have shown the ability to win. They've got weaknesses, but I think that you can combine them to put together something that's hard for people to deal with."
Yes, Mangini isn't the first person to present the Steelers implementing a dual-quarterback system with Wilson and Fields. It is a topic of discussion that has practically been circulating since they landed in Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, it presumably highlights why the former Browns and Jets coach didn't enjoy particularly successful or extensive stints with either team.
In three years with the Jets (2006-08), Mangini went 23-25, reaching the playoffs once (which turned out to be his lone career postseason bid). New York didn't make it out of the Wild Card round. Then, he spent 2009 and 2010 in Cleveland, posting a 5-11 record in consecutive campaigns.
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