The Pittsburgh Steelers are keeping the fan base on edge as the organization still does not have a starting quarterback set in stone for the 2025 season. Free agency officially opens up on March 12th, and although the organization has said it wants to re-sign either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, both quarterbacks are still slated to hit the open market. The Steelers prefer Fields moving forward, but the quarterback is going to test the open market in order to see what his true value might be.
Fields and the Steelers have discussing a new deal, but it is the smart move for the quarterback to see what is out there for him. He can always bring any offer he gets from a different organization back to Pittsburgh to see if the franchise will match the offer.
Fields is going to have a decent amount of interest, as teams like the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and now the Seattle Seahawks could all be interested. NFL writer Daniel Jeremiah has been keeping a close eye on the upcoming free agent market, and he is must intrigued by Fields.
Jeremiah seems to believe Fields will be deciding between Pittsburgh and New York, which likely rules out any other organization that may want to throw its hat in the ring. New York has an intriguing new leadership group including Head Coach Aaron Glenn, who played against Fields twice a year while both sides were in the NFC North.
In addition to having some familiarity with Glenn, Fields also knows star wide receiver Garrett Wilson quite well. The two played together at Ohio State for two seasons, where the receiver was one of Fields' favorite targets. This could be a factor that will attract Fields to New York, and it will likely become a no-brainer for the quarterback if he gets offered a lucrative deal.
It makes all the sense in the world for Fields to go out and test the market, but the Steelers need to be sure they are making competitive offers. The organization has become known for being relatively cheap, and it needs to make Fields feel wanted with whatever offer is submitted. The quarterback has some trust issues to get past after being replaced by Russell Wilson during the 2024 season, and a good contract offer might be able to do that.
Fields has had nothing but inconsistency so far in his NFL career. During his time with the Chicago Bears he played under two different head coaches and two different offensive coordinators. This makes life difficult on a young quarterback in the NFL, and if he decides to return to Pittsburgh he would be returning to the same offense with the same coaching staff.
Steelers Are At A Disadvantage If Their Competition Is The Jets
The Jets are currently a mystery, and that is an advantage for them. Glenn comes from the Detroit Lions, which was also a franchise that was one of the worst in the league, and now they are a powerhouse in the NFC. It is reasonable to think Glenn can pull off a similar transformation in New York. This may make Fields want to join the Jets, along a better offer coming from New York.
New York is also a bigger market, and definitely a more attractive place to play. The organization already stole Aaron Curry from Pittsburgh, and now they may do the same with Fields. Pittsburgh is at a disadvantage, but hopefully the quarterback opts for the familiarity he has with the Steelers.
