The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2025 offseason in the same exact place they were to begin 2024: no clear-cut solution at quarterback, and all their current options are not slated to be on the team. Granted, two of the three quarterbacks from the 2023 season were given away via a cut and a trade, so it was more by choice then. This time, all of their quarterbacks from their most recent campaign are pending free agents. The team can't afford to have a complete overhaul of the room again. At least one guy needs to stay.
While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly brought up the quarterback situation and gave some inside knowledge on how the front office feels. However, they may have to work a bit harder to keep their guy.
"I think they're more interested in [Justin Fields], but that doesn't mean he's going to be the guy they choose," explained Kaboly. "If I'm Justin, I like the position I'm in right now. 'Oh man, you didn't want to sign me last year?' I'm sure if they would have went to him last year said, 'Hey, we want to add you here before the season starts for a year or so,' he might have accepted it."
Justin Fields seems like the obvious choice for the Steelers to keep. He's younger, more athletic, and he has a much higher ceiling than the others. He also proved how humble he truly is by not making a scene when he was shockingly benched in the middle of the season. As long as he continues to develop, he could become an electric starter.
There have been numerous reports that the organization leans towards Fields more than Russell Wilson, which makes a lot of sense. Wilson is a veteran leader, but that can only take you so far. The decision is simple: you take the guy with the higher ceiling, even if he has the lower floor.
Wilson is not getting any younger. His deep ball is still amazing, but that doesn't mean anything if he takes sacks, whether or not it's his own fault. His pocket presence has been spotty. Even if he's the victim of poor offensive tackle play, Fields' mobility can help make up for that, while Wilson's aging legs just simply can't do as much anymore.
Steelers Need To Act Quickly
Unfortunately, that high ceiling could help Fields get more money and/or be in a better situation. As Kaboly points out, the young quarterback is the one with leverage here. For all the reasons mentioned above, teams will be looking to bring him in to be their starter as opposed to Wilson.
Before the 2024 season, assistant general manager Andy Weidl confidently stuck with the Steelers' decision to give neither option an extension and figure everything out afterwards. Now, he and the rest of the front office need to figure out how to keep Fields around without overpaying him.
Obviously, teams like the Steelers prefer upside over declining veterans. The front office should have foreseen this before the 2024 season. If they did, Fields would already be confirmed for the season for less money than he'd make on any team in 2025. Tradition may have gotten in the way of logic yet again.
According to Spotrac, Fields' market value is set at about $6.4 million for just one year. However, why would he simply accept that when he will most likely have plenty of other suitors willing to give him more? If they truly want to keep him, it will likely have to be with a deal for at least two years. If not, they will have to go with Plan B: an even older version of Wilson, then play this game again in 2026.
