The Pittsburgh Steelers have the luxury of patience at the quarterback position this offseason. With a number of options available to them – yet few Super Bowl caliber QBs – Pittsburgh is one of a number of teams in limbo. The Steelers draft pick won’t help them much in that regard either, as Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are expected to come off the board long before Pittsburgh selects.
Alas, this leaves the Steelers with a complicated scenario. Their best and most likely path forward is to find a bridge quarterback, perhaps one with some potential and room for growth, and hope to reach the playoffs again in 2025. This is why most pundits and Steelers fans agree that Justin Fields is the right choice for the Steelers.
Fields showed some flashes last year in Arthur Smith’s offense. While Smith was notoriously conservative with Fields, the quarterback used his combination of athleticism and arm strength to lead the Steelers to a 4-2 record without Russell Wilson. When Wilson returned, Fields was promptly benched despite his impressive play. Wilson opened up the passing attack but ran into a wall the last five weeks of the season, flaming out against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card round specifically.
Steelers can afford Justin Fields and then some
A Wilson return seems unlikely this time around, though you wouldn’t know it by talking to Russ. Fields wants a real chance to start, and that won’t happen if the Steelers re-sign Wilson or another veteran QB. They should fully invest in Fields, at least for one year to try and unlock his potential. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, part of what makes a Fields return so enticing is his price tag.
“Speaking of the Steelers, this is, of course, a big week for Pittsburgh to try to get Justin Fields re-signed,” Breer wrote. “He’ll have options elsewhere—one team would be the New York Jets, and I wouldn’t be stunned to see Indy throw its hat in the ring—if he gets to the market. I think he has a shot to get a deal like Sam Darnold got with the Minnesota Vikings last year.”
For reference, the contract Darnold signed was for $10 million, which is a bargain in this quarterback economy. If the Steelers can convince Fields to take a similar prove-it deal with the promise of a starting spot, it’ll provide them with ample financial flexibility to surround him with better weapons, such as a true WR2 next to George Pickens and a Najee Harris replacement.
The Steelers also face questions on the defensive side of the football, which will not be solved cheaply. Whether it’s adding to the defensive line or signing TJ Watt to a contract extension, the Steelers can do a lot with the money they’d save on an affordable Fields deal.