Pittsburgh Steelers fans are now watching the playoffs as mere observers, just like the fans of 27 other teams. Watching these teams' offenses move the ball down the field and blitz their opponents on defense makes fans even more frustrated with their Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens. It highlights all the areas where the Steelers lack talent, and fans wonder how they will fix these areas in the offseason.
Longtime Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joined the Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show on 102.5 WDVE and was asked what stood out the most to him during the recent postseason games, especially as it pertains to what the Steelers are lacking.
"What stood out to me were two things about watching the game, the mobility of the quarterbacks, what a weapon it is," said Dulac. "Two, the speed that the teams are able to bring off the bench. The Steelers don't have that. They bring Connor Heyward and Cordarrelle Patterson off the bench; they brought Mike Williams off the bench. While I don't have a problem with a big play or kind of a tall receiver like that, they don't have speed in their offense coming off the bench."
Dulac said that Calvin Austin III is the fastest player on their offense and he isn't coming off the bench effectively. He added that they only have a handful of receivers, and none of them are the speed guys they need, which is hurting them.
He added Head Coach Mike Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan have to be watching those games and seeing someone like Jayden Daniels and think that Justin Fields is the closest they can come to that skill set. Fields might not have the same level of accuracy as Daniels, but he has potential and is more mobile than Russell Wilson. He added that a third item stood out to him: the value of running backs still exists if they are used appropriately.
"I know Derrick Henry and all about his size, but those teams all have a guy who can get to the edge," added Dulac. "Which is another thing the Steelers don't have because they bring Cordarrelle Patterson off the bench when they are talking about bringing in another running back."
Dulac said the team's original intention was to bring Wilson back in 2025, but he no longer believes that will happen. Since the season has ended, Dulac has said the team sees Fields as their best shot at success.
They must reconfigure their wide receiving corps to add speed to their offense, starting with a decision about George Pickens. After spending three seasons on a seat that is growing increasingly hot, fans are calling for him to be traded. Regardless of what they decide with Pickens, they still need another top receiver, having never acquired a true number two before the 2024 season.
What Will The Steelers Pay Justin Fields?
Dulac was asked how much he thinks the Steelers will pay Fields to bring him back as their starting quarterback. They paid him just north of $1.6 million for 2024 to be Wilson's backup, and Dulac thinks while he will command more in 2025, it will still be closer to a backup than a starter.
According to Spotrac, Fields market value is $8.9 million, but Dulac said they would offer him a two-to-three-year contract that they could get out of quickly if necessary. He expects it to be for roughly $12-15 million and very heavy on incentives.
The players comparable to Fields make anywhere from $10-20 million. While that contract is much less than most starting quarterbacks get, risk is involved. Based on what they saw in those first six games, the Steelers would take a chance that Fields' weaknesses can be coached out of him.
