Respected Steelers Insider Gives Fan Base Gloomy Reality With Quarterback Decision Looming

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have a lot of conversation surrounding the team regarding the quarterback position until a decision is finally made. Fans will know by the beginning of the new league year if one of the signal-callers from 2024 will be back. If neither Russell Wilson or Justin Fields is signed in the coming weeks, the duo will have the opportunity to explore new homes in free agency. There have been guesses all across the sports media landscape about what the franchise may do, but it's very clear that the national pundits have much less of a clue than the local ones.

It seems like a rather easy decision to retain Fields on a short-term deal to find out if he can be the long-term solution. The only way that bringing Wilson back holds merit is if the team makes a move to trade for a young quarterback or draft one. That doesn't seem like the responsible organizational decision to make given the 2025 options in those areas.

Even with it seeming simple, Fields could have a legitimate market for his services after a strong six-start stint in 2024. He may even have a bad taste in his mouth about being slotted as the official backup once Wilson returned from his preseason calf injury. On Sunday evening, the #1 Cochran Sports Showdown crew discussed the dilemma for the Steelers. Team insider Mark Kaboly agreed with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Jason Mackey about Wilson returning.

"I think I agree with him," Kaboly said. "I think I agree with him. I think Justin's going to find more money, more opportunity, a better place somewhere else."

In a league that demands elite quarterback play, several teams need one entering the offseason, including the New York Jets. These franchises may be willing to overpay for a former first-round pick that showed promise in 2024. This is why it could be smart for Fields and his camp to elude any offer made by Pittsburgh unless it absolutely blows them away. Once the negotiating window opens for external parties, it's very possible that the Steelers lose Fields quickly.

The Steelers ended the 2024 season on a five-game losing streak, which included a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The defense didn't perform all that great, but the offense was close to hopeless. Wilson proved that he was an older signal-caller and made some crucial mistakes down the stretch. Head Coach Mike Tomlin did not waver in his support, however, even though it might have made sense to bench Wilson for Fields in the second half of the Wild Card contest, at the very least.