The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a successful 2024 campaign through 14 games, as Mike Tomlin's squad is 10-4 and atop the AFC North. The Steelers suffered a tough loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 but will quickly turn their attention towards a pivotal divisional road game versus the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16.
One of the primary reasons for the Steelers' impressive record in 2024 has been the steady quarterback play. Russell Wilson has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league since taking over as the starter in Week 7, but Justin Fields did an admirable job filling in for Wilson during the first six games of the year when the veteran was dealing with a calf injury.
Fields posted a 4-2 record and totaled 10 touchdowns with just two turnovers during the first six weeks of the season, and showed a ton of promise. Though the former Ohio State Buckeye has served as the backup since Wilson's return, Fields should have a competitive market in free agency this offseason and receive a chance to earn a starting gig in 2025 due to his solid play.
Many expect the 2021 first-round pick to sign with a quarterback-needy team in free agency, but The Wright Way Network's Marissa Myers predicts the San Francisco 49ers will replace Brock Purdy with Fields this offseason.
It is clear that Brock Purdy is on the hot seat. While he helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl, the ceiling of the offense has been exposed with Purdy under center. When the 49ers fall behind in games and can’t rely on the run game, Purdy has struggled to put the team on his back to close games out. It’s clear that he is not a game-changing quarterback, an example of this is whenever he is pressured, instead of staying composed, he gets frantic, and it causes him to throw an increased rate of interceptions.
Between his rushing ability to extend plays, and work outside the structure to open up the offensive playbook, Fields is the ideal quarterback the 49ers need to replace Purdy.
This scenario has a zero percent chance of transpiring this offseason. Though Purdy and the 49ers have underwhelmed in 2024, San Francisco has been ravaged by injuries and the former Iowa State Cyclone is far from the team's biggest problem.
Replacing Purdy with Fields would be a downgrade for the 49ers, as the former first-round pick's accuracy is still inconsistent, and Fields wouldn't be a logical fit in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
San Francisco should stick with Purdy as their franchise quarterback moving forward, as the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant is one of the best young signal-callers in football and has proved to be an adequate fit in Shanahan's scheme.
On the other hand, Fields should sign with a team that could give him a chance to start in 2025 and revitalize his career.
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