The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 regular season promises to spur a higher level of anticipation, excitement and interest than the team’s fan base has experienced since the retirement of Big Ben. The brand of offense which Steelers fans have been watching for the past two seasons has, for the most part, been predictable and dull. But considering the well known and documented tendencies of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, it’s highly unlikely that Steelers Nation will have difficulty staying awake when September arrives.

Given the addition of Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith — and also counting several new faces on the offense this offseason — fans will definitely have a variety of new angles to consider regarding the team. The influx of two new quarterbacks, a semi-revamped receiver corps and (hopefully) a revitalized OL translates to a fundamentally different offense taking the field this coming season.

During Kenny Pickett’s 2-year stint with the Steelers, perhaps his most conspicuous tendency was the extremely cautious approach he took to the passing game. Pickett clearly appeared wary about pushing the ball downfield — perhaps because, as a young QB, he sought to avoid the interceptions which might have relegated him to the bench.

Based on ample game film of Wilson and Fields, timidity and uber-caution would be the last things we should expect to see. Wilson is a seasoned veteran with no hesitation in attacking defenses. Fields has a powerful arm but he’s even more dangerous when he tucks the ball and transitions to a speedy RB. During his three NFL seasons in Chicago, Fields compiled a fairly impressive highlight reel which mainly features him darting past various defenders.

Both for better and worse, predictable and dull aren’t at all what the Steelers’ new QBs bring to the table. And it seems evident that the importance of generating greater excitement and fan interest played at least some role in the team’s decision to end the Pickett experiment and totally revamp the QB room.

At least from a marketing and PR perspective, the Steelers’ recent sea change creates the impression of a new-and-improved version of the team. It’s tempting to consider these changes as the master stroke which many in the sports media have pronounced them to be. But come September, reality will set in as Steelers Nation finds out how well this changed cast of players functions as a team. During the early portion of the 2024 regular season, we’ll get a strong indication of whether stirring the pot in such a substantial manner translates to a winning recipe for the Black-and-gold.