Alarming Russell Wilson and Justin Fields stat could be reason for Steelers to panic

The Pittsburgh Steelers took on two reclamation projects at quarterback this offseason. 

Just days after signing quarterback Russell Wilson in free agency, Steelers general manager Omar Khan acquired quarterback Justin Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears.

Neither quarterback is flawless, of course, or they wouldn't have been available. Wilson and Fields have some glaring differences. Wilson is a proven veteran with nine Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl championship, but he has struggled in the latter portion of his career. Fields is raw and physically gifted, but he hasn’t shown the consistency or ability to lead a professional offense.

Ultimately, the competition for the starting role could come down to whether either quarterback can fix their shared ailment.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have struggled in similar fashion

Wilson and Fields have both struggled to throw the ball on time and in rhythm.

Among quarterbacks with at least 250 pass attempts in 2023, Fields had the slowest average time to throw (3.23 seconds) and Wilson had the second-slowest (3.06 seconds), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. 

No other quarterback took more than an average of three seconds to throw the ball. 

It’s no coincidence that Wilson and Fields are the most sacked quarterbacks in the league over the past two seasons. Since 2022, Wilson has been sacked 100 times and Fields has been sacked 99 times. They are the only two quarterbacks to be sacked more than 80 times in that span, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

To their credit, the Steelers seem well aware of the problems that could arise from poor protection, and they prioritized bolstering their offensive line this offseason. 

Pittsburgh drafted Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, then added center Zach Frazier in the second round and offensive tackle Mason McCormick in the fourth round. 

Regardless, the protection won't mean much if Pittsburgh's quarterbacks don’t throw the ball on time and in rhythm.

Not all sacks are created equal. When a quarterback is sacked, it’s easy to point fingers at an offensive lineman. In reality, protection schemes and play calls are much more complex.

Great quarterbacks know that most of the work to ensure their protection needs to happen before the ball is snapped. With a full understanding of the play call and the defensive front, a quarterback can ease the offensive line’s job as he strives to make game-altering decisions in split seconds.