The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback quandary has everyone once again guessing who will be under center in 2025. After just doing this in 2024, some names are the same: Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Kirk Cousins. Some names are new: Matthew Stafford, Sam Darnold, and Aaron Rodgers. Since both Wilson and Fields had opportunities to start for the Steelers, they seem to be the two names mentioned most often.
Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show recently discussed the quarterback situation on his podcast, Kaboly and Mack, with co-host Chris Mack. They brought up recent rumors that there is a divide among the Steelers brass over who should return for 2025. Kaboly said it is all just speculation; why would Art Rooney II prefer Wilson while Mike Tomlin prefers Fields?
The idea that Tomlin is pushing for Fields to return over Wilson is a bit surprising, given that the head coach went all "Lone Ranger" in 2024 when he sat Fields in favor of Wilson in Week 7. Kaboly said he doesn't understand why people are so against Wilson returning.
"What prevents Russell Wilson from being successful here if they do add Deebo Samuel," asked Kaboly. "They have George Pickens, they add a first-round or second-round running back, they have [Troy] Fautanu back. I mean, why are we just dismissing Russell as a guy? I know why we're dismissing him, because there's no long-term future there. I don't think he was that bad. He wasn't as bad as people think he was in the last third of the season, just like Justin Fields wasn't as good as we think he was in the first third of the season."
The Steelers lacked offensive weapons in 2024, which hampered both quarterbacks. They tried to put lipstick on the pig that was the wide receiver room, and it just didn't work. With George Pickens being the only real impact player, there isn't enough upselling in the world to get those depth guys to be solid wide receiver twos.
On top of the lack of another wide receiver, their offensive line was riddled with injuries throughout the season. They lost their first-round pick Troy Fautanu early in the season and later lost James Daniels. Other guys, like Zach Frazier missed games, but was able to return.
Steelers Have To Weigh All The Options
Wilson felt like a no-brainer decision for 2025 when he led the team to 10-3 on the season. Remember that Fields started the year with a record of 4-2. He performed so well that fans demanded he continue to start, despite Wilson recovering from his calf injury. However, Tomlin reportedly trumped everyone, creating some division in the facility, and went with Wilson.
After Wilson won six of his first seven games, Tomlin was hailed as a genius. In the Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers engaged in a shoot-out against a divisional foe led by Joe Burrow and won. People lost their minds, and rightfully so, recognizing that the offense finally started showing signs of growth. That was something that the Black and Gold hadn't done in a long time. The whole world saw during those six games that Wilson still throws a beautiful "moonball," and his leadership and positivity were winning folks over.
However, he is 10 years older than Fields. The Steelers also took a nose dive and lost their last five games, and fans turned on Wilson. They feel better about taking a chance with the younger guy with more natural athletic ability. Fields did have an impressive start to the season, and supposedly, he is the preferred quarterback of Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith.
The Steelers have a big decision to make. While both quarterbacks have said they want to return to Pittsburgh, Wilson seems like the one who would be most eager. At his age, his options are getting limited. Many think Fields will want to shop free agency, but he has to be careful he doesn't get too greedy.
