One of the biggest storylines that will persist throughout the 2024 season is the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback position. With both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields set to enter the season with one year on their contracts, the team could find itself back at square one next offseason, with every available or potentially available quarterback being linked to the Steelers leading up to free agency.
There are a number of ways this thing can be handled. A Fields extension prior to the season would be good business for the Steelers, so they at least have an option to fall back on if things don’t work out with Wilson. Fields and his agent would have to be on the same page, however, and it is questionable if that would be a good decision for him.
On one hand, there is a possibility that Fields sees little-to-no snaps in the 2024 season which would hurt his market value next year as a free agent. On the other hand, if he does see the field in specialized packages, or even as a result of a Wilson injury in a more extensive role, he could be selling himself short on the type of money he could make a year from now.
The Steelers don’t negotiate contracts once the season begins, so they have four or five months to figure out a plan. Otherwise, they will enter next offseason with uncertainty.
In a recent Steelers chat on Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with Brian Batko, a reader asked if the Steelers will extend Wilson if it means risking a future with Fields, who is a younger prospect with better long-term upside.
“If Russell Wilson has a good season, I don’t believe the Steelers will fret too much about what that means for their chances of keeping Fields around,” Batko said. “They’ll lean into the present if it’s really that good.”
Shortly after Wilson signed his one-year deal, reports surfaced that there was mutual interest between him and the team for an extension following the season. That is obviously predicated on him having a good season, but Wilson has told the media that he wants to be a part of the Pittsburgh community for a long time. He has also previously stated that he has multiple more Lombardi Trophies in his five-year plan for himself. Wilson doesn’t seem to even have one eye on his exit plan from the NFL.
Quarterbacks who are 35 years old used to be in the final stages of their careers, but players like Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, and others have proven that you can still produce well into your late 30s or even early 40s.
If Wilson steps in and provides solid-to-great quarterback play in the 2024 season, the decision will be much less difficult on what to do with Fields. Only if Wilson struggles will the Steelers find themselves in a conundrum. There is a separate matter of Wilson and his agent negotiating large contracts over his last two with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. If he plays well, he is not going to come cheap. Either way, it would be a good problem to have.
