The Pittsburgh Steelers are going into the 2025 NFL season with Skylar Thompson as their only quarterback on the roster so far. That will obviously change by the end of free agency, but the concern from fans is that there isn't a clear answer to the position as they may have hoped after the 2024 season. The Steelers brought in both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson in hopes that one of them could show enough to be the answer that the organization has been searching for since 2022. Fields didn't get much of a sample size, with just six starts this past season, and fans thinking he wasn't really given much to work with when it came to the playbook. Wilson started out of the gates hot for Pittsburgh, but the last five weeks of the season truly left a bad taste in Steeler Nation's mouths.
"As for Justin Fields, I agree with you that he's got familiarity here, he knows the staff, and if Arthur Smith is as complimentary of him behind closed doors as he is with us in the media, then that seems like the kind of coach Fields would want to keep playing for," said Batko.
With the realistic available quarterbacks this offseason, the Steelers could make the safe choice in Fields. He is young, talented with his legs, and already knows Arthur Smith's system. Not to mention that Head Coach Mike Tomlin said at his end of the 2024 season press conference that Fields could be their starter in 2025.
Fields is still not a sure thing for the Steelers as his sample size from last season was not much through his six starts. Fortunately for him, his ability to move the ball with his legs gives him an edge over Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and other quarterbacks that could potentially land in Pittsburgh. Many saw the success that the Washington Commanders had with their rookie quarterback who has a similar style to Fields in Jayden Daniels. This is causing many Steelers fans to demand that Fields be re-signed and let him have a full season to prove himself in hopes that they can capture the same lightning in the bottle that Washington did this past season.
Another positive that Fields has over other options is that he won't cost the organization draft capital. Acquiring a quarterback like Stafford or Trevor Lawrence will hinder the Steelers in the NFL Draft when it comes to filling roster holes with young talent. General Manager Omar Khan has gained respect from his recent draft success and allowing him to continue to build the roster through the draft has to be a top priority. If that means Fields gets his shot, a lot of fans will be certainly fine with that -- especially if that means they see a receiver taken in the first round.
Steelers Re-Signing Fields Could Be The Answer
The Steelers have a lot of questions to answer this offseason. They can't stay on one problem for too long or other issues will become worse. Fields could be the answer they have been searching for, at least in the short-term. With a year already in Pittsburgh, many fans want him to take the reins and allow the Steelers to fill their needs elsewhere through free agency and the draft. The positives could outweigh the negatives when it comes to Fields and if Pittsburgh is able to sign him to a short-term deal, it would be a classic low risk, high reward scenario for Tomlin and co.
Should the Steelers re-sign Fields? Let us know what you think in the comments below?
