Much of the discourse surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason has centered around which quarterback will start under center Week 1 - but Bill Belichick believes there’s another glaring issue in Pittsburgh that’s not getting enough attention.
On Monday, Belichick made a guest appearance on the “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he was asked to share his opinion on whether Russell Wilson or Justin Fields should be named the Steelers QB1. The former Patriots head coach sided with the former, citing his greater ability to protect the football.
“I think the No. 1 thing in coach [Mike] Tomlin’s mind is taking care of the football, don’t turn it over,” Belichick said. “That’s something that Russell is very good at. I think there are probably more concerns about that with Fields.”
Upon acquiring both Wilson and Fields back in March, Steelers top brass were quick to name the ex-Bronco as the starter . But it appears as though Tomlin has since had a change of heart , revealing earlier this month that preseason performances would heavily influence which quarterback is given the reins to the offense.
"It is still very much a competition,” he said. “What happens in the stadium is weighted heavier than what happens in practice because it's more game-like."
According to Belichick, however, the quarterback position is the least of the Steelers’ worries, with Pittsburgh’s depleted offensive line a serious cause for concern. "I think they have bigger problems than the quarterback position. That's my opinion," he said.
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"I think that the defense is a pretty solid unit. The offensive line had a hard time being consistent. They lost the tackle [Troy Fautanu]. Now they've got [Broderick] Jones over there playing right tackle. Dan [Moore Jr.] is playing left tackle. Inside they have a rookie center, [Zach] Frazier. He's got a way to go. The guards, they've had some issues, too, in the first two preseason games."
The Steelers offensive line has struggled mightily during the first two games of the preseason, in large part due to a lack of continuity among the front five. 2024 first-round draft pick Troy Fautanu sustained a sprain MCL in the first half of Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, though remains confident that he’ll be ready for the season opener. Starting tackle Broderick Jones, meanwhile, has been fighting through a nagging elbow injury that he suffered in practice.
Projected starting center Nate Herbig suffered a torn rotator cuff in training camp that will sideline him for the entire season. Running back Jaylen Warren will also be out for several weeks after suffering a hamstring injury on Saturday, with his status for Week 1 cast in doubt.
While Belichick asserted that Steelers former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was the perfect coordinator to run Tomlin’s desired offense, he believes that side of the football still has many issues to hash out.
“They need to get the running game going, they have good backs, they need to get those backs started,” Belichick added. “Russell’s good out of the pocket. But I think the problems are bigger than Russell Wilson. I think it’s really offensive line and the running game.”
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