The Pittsburgh Steelers are being talked about on nearly every sports program to begin the 2025 offseason, and that is mainly because of the intriguing quarterback situation. The organization has already stated that it would like to re-sign either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields for the 2025 season, but other options could certainly be on the table. Between Wilson and Fields, it is hard to tell which way the franchise is leaning, especially because Wilson ended the 2024 season on bad note, and Fields just didn't see the field enough.
A large portion of the fan base would rather see Fields return as the starter in 2025 over Wilson, mainly because he would be cheaper and has more upside than the older veteran. Aside from the two in-house options at quarterback, there are a few other veterans available across the league. One name that has been in a lot of headlines is Aaron Rodgers, who will be released from the New York Jets and enter free agency.
ESPN's Kevin Clark joined The Mina Kimes Show Featuring Lenny and spoke about the idea of Rodgers signed with the Steelers in free agency.
"For me, Rodgers to Pittsburgh makes the most sense." Clark said. "I feel like that is, by far, the most logical option for both parties. The Steelers are ready to win now. They can't take that many chances. l've seen people say they wanna keep working with Justin Fields. You worked with Justin Fields last year and you bench him for Russell Wilson and the team seemed to get better. Yeah, you can bring Fields back on an affordable deal, but I don't think that's the long term answer when you have a bunch of guys who are ready to win now and a defense that can win."
The majority of the Pittsburgh fan base has been adamantly against the idea of signing Rodgers ever since it was announced that the quarterback would be released. He is 41 years old, and has been a distraction to his teams in recent years. He did not have a great year with New York in 2024, despite having some of the best weapons in the league in Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Davante Adams. It is hard to imagine he would have any more success with a team like the Steelers.
The more interesting part of Clark's analysis involved Fields. He believes the organization may have already seen enough of the young quarterback, hence the mid-season benching in favor of Wilson. He feels as though it wouldn't make sense to bring him back to be the starter if the coaching staff felt like the offense got better once Wilson took over the unit.
Clark insinuates that Fields could still be brought back on an affordable deal, but not to start. This would still give Fields the chance to win the job, whether that be in camp or if he has to come in in relief of the starter.
Steelers Do Not Need A "Win Now" Approach When Deciding Next Quarterback
Clark backed up his thought that Rodgers should be the starter because the veteran gives the team the best chance to win now. This just doesn't matter. The Steelers are not winning the Super Bowl in 2025 regardless of who is at quarterback. The team is extremely far away from accomplishing that feat, as there are holes all throughout the roster that is consistently coached in a questionable manner.
The better approach would be signing Fields and figuring out if there is anything there. Worst case scenario the franchise loses some games and begins preparing for 2026, or it finds a potential franchise quarterback in Fields. A veteran quarterback is not the answer now, nor will it be in the near future. Build the roster through the draft, including the quarterback.
