PITTSBURGH — Two years ago, the Steelers were feeling great about their post-Ben Roethlisberger quarterback strategy, as they had just signed Mitch Trubisky as a free agent and drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round.

There were plenty of thoughts that the Steelers were going to be set at quarterback for a long time, and many fans and media types alike acted as if the Steelers had hit the quarterback lottery by landing the duo. It was true at the time that Pickett was the best quarterback in that draft and also that Trubisky was probably the best quarterback available in free agency in terms of his contract and upside potential.

That was in 2022, but it sure feels like it was a lot longer ago given the ensuing disaster that began with so much hope and optimism and ended a year later with both Trubisky and Pickett sitting on the bench behind third-stringer Mason Rudolph.

In retrospect, the optimism about the quarterback position heading into 2022 was based on a lot of pipe dreams and reality-ignoring sets of facts.

Trubisky was indeed a first-rounder with a lot of pedigree, but he had flamed out with the Bears and headed to Buffalo to be the backup to Josh Allen. There was a school of thought that, somehow, after that year behind Allen and under the direction of then-offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Trubisky was fixed and going to be the quarterback everyone thought he was coming out of college.

It just didn't happen, and many of the same issues that ailed Trubisky followed him to the Steelers. He eventually lost his job to Pickett, and I still maintain Mike Tomlin pulled the plug on Trubisky too early given the offense he was asked to run and how early it was in the season when he was benched. But such is life in the NFL, and there was a first-round pick waiting in the wings, so it was only a matter of time before the move was made anyway.

Then, along came Pickett. And while he had a few moments at the end of games, for the most part, he never seemed to improve. And the knocks against him coming out of college with respect to his arm strength and ability to make certain throws were easy to see, and it was pretty clear by the end of his second season that he was not going to be the franchise quarterback the Steelers thought they were drafting.

Looking back, why is anyone surprised that neither of those two panned out for the Steelers? Other than some flights of fancy about Trubisky being fixed by being a backup and a few exciting moments by Pickett at Pitt, what made anyone believe that either of them was going to suddenly become a different player than they had actually been just because they joined the Steelers?

I hate to say this, but I am starting to get some of the same vibes about this crop of Steelers quarterbacks because I am not sure the blind optimism surrounding either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields is warranted at this point. Yes, they are an upgrade over what the Steelers had last year. But I am not sure that is a high bar to clear, and I also wonder: By how much?

Wilson has had an excellent career and at one point looked like he was headed to a first-ballot Hall of Fame career. I still think he is a Hall of Famer, but his recent years might sour enough voters to make him no longer a lock to go in his first year eligible.

If the Steelers are getting 2020 Russell Wilson, which is to say the guy who threw for 4,200 yards, 40 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions, well, that is one thing.

But they aren't.

They are getting 2024 Wilson, and he is coming off of two underwhelming seasons and is now 35. I also have to wonder just how motivated he is to play football at this point, seeing as he is getting a huge check from Denver this season regardless of what happens here in Pittsburgh.

Wilson has never been known as the hungriest or hardest-working player in the NFL, and there have been plenty of questions about how much he really loves to play anymore. I am not saying that he is done or anywhere close to it, and maybe he can find that magic touch from a few years ago. But it is also reasonable to believe the Steelers got a guy whose best days are behind him.

Then there is Fields, who, like Trubisky, was drafted in the first round by the Bears and flamed out before the end of his rookie contract. The Bears traded Fields to the Steelers for a song and a dance, which speaks volumes about what they think about him. And yet he has captivated the imagination of fans and even some media types alike because of his "potential."

Look, I get it. Fields is still very young and he is oozing with natural talent, but all of those dynamic plays he might make with his legs are only the sideshow, not the main event. Fields needs to be able to consistently make throws on time and from the pocket and do the simple things, the fundamental things that allow the Steelers offense the ability to move the ball consistently.

I am not saying Fields can't do those things; I am saying we haven't seen it. And while I don't doubt that Arthur Smith and his staff are the miracle workers every new staff in a honeymoon phase gets to be, I am sorry, but I have to see Fields make these throws and be that guy before I believe it.

Maybe I am getting old and I've just become too cynical, but I don't think so. I like to believe I am a critical thinker, and I think when it comes to the Steelers quarterbacks, I need to see one guy locked in and playing at a high level and the other making routine plays and NFL throws consistently before I am ready to get as excited as some at the prospects of this season.

Fields may be a star in the making, but he also might be a guy who is always "oozing with talent that just hasn't figured it out." Wilson may be "playing with a chip on his shoulder with something to prove," but he also might be looking into the future and seeing himself retired with a boatload of cash and an easy ride to the end.

This season will tell us a lot about both, and for the Steelers' sake, I hope at least one of them proves they are who some people seem to think they are.

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