The 2024 NFL free agency has been one for the ages. The running back market is a total frenzy, high-caliber players are joining their division rivals, and some big-name quarterbacks will be sporting new uniforms next season.
According to CBS Sports, the best move so far is the Pittsburgh Steelers trading for quarterback Justin Fields.
Cody Benjamin ranked the Fields trade as the best move made in free agency, ahead of the Atlanta Falcons signing QB Kirk Cousins and the Kansas City Chiefs tagging L’Jarius Sneed to keep the cornerback from hitting the open market.
“This is the definition of a low-risk, high-reward bet, and the potential reward is so high at such a vital position that it’s hard not to give the Steelers credit, even if their pivot from Kenny Pickett to Russell Wilson felt uncharacteristically hurried,” Benjamin writes for CBS Sports. “To get [Fields] in exchange for a conditional late-round pick is absurd value, even if he fizzles out or stays seated behind Wilson.”
Benjamin’s praise is well-deserved. The Steelers completely flipped their organizational tendencies, which would have involved riding out their first-round quarterback selection – Pickett – for a few more likely middling seasons without really cutting their losses. Instead, GM Omar Khan worked some magic, turning a quarterback room that seemed to have limited upward trajectory into a fresh, talented group at very little cost.
Justin Fields started 40 games in his three years with the Chicago Bears. While his play was up and down, it’s undeniable that the former first-round pick has raw, electric talent — as both a runner and a passer — that can truly break games open. I mean just look at this play.
In his write-up, Benjamin also noted how Fields “stylistically fits into the run-first model the [Steelers] have so long prioritized.” With the hiring of Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, the Steelers sought to revamp their brand of physical, run-heavy football with a lot of play-action passing. Just like fellow quarterback Russell Wilson, Fields has a great track record as a play-action passer, with a passer rating of 103.2 when using play-action.
The Steelers’ trade for Justin Fields was cheap, an excellent stylistic fit, and loaded with potential upside. Fields is expected to back up Wilson this season, but Wilson’s only on a one-year deal, so it’s likely that the Steelers will use this opportunity to allow Fields to learn and develop behind the nine-time Pro Bowler. If all goes well, Fields could very well be the franchise option that the Steelers hoped they were getting in Pickett.
Regardless of what ends up happening at the quarterback position this season (some think a true quarterback competition may be the best route), the Steelers snagged Justin Fields at a lower cost than it took the Eagles to acquire Pickett, who is older than Fields despite one less year of NFL experience.
